I Wish To Be Popular
by Rynnee
Summary: When Ginny, known as nothing but the annoying little sister of the popular Weasley Brothers, is offered a supernatural chance to change her position at Hogwarts, she takes it without a second thought. Its a good thing she has a silver Guardian Angel. . .
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: _Hello all, I decided to write this with a slight inspiration from **Mean Girls**. We all know that movie. Lindsey Lohan was insanely gorgeous, before she turned random party girl/druggie. RIP Normal Lindsey. . .But, before I digress! I'd like to thank cherryredxx for beta-ing this fic for me. I don't own Harry Potter or none of JKR's characters, or none of the songs I may reference in this fic. I know none of you came to listen to me rant, so let's get on with the jump!

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><p><strong><em>First Year - Eleven-Years-Old<em>**

Ginny Weasley thought Hogwarts was going to be a perfect adventure of magic, learning, and friends.

She was _wrong_.

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><p>"Hello, Ginny."<p>

"Hello, Penelope!" The eleven-year-old plastered a bright smile on her face inside the Great Hall, her pallid-skin splotched over with freckles, her long brightly red-tainted hair splashed across her back in a gaudy contrast to her dark school robes, her small fingers delicately folded inside the others as she swung her feet underneath the Gryffindor table inside the Great Hall. Bright, cinnamon-tinted eyes gazed upon the tall, slender form of Penelope Clearwater and her other Prefect friends, who all sat and surrounded the young girl with matching smiling faces.

"Tonight, I'm having a sleepover with all of the coolest Gryffindor girls. Since this is your first year, this will be a great chance for you to make awesome friends. Do you think you can make it to the Prefect dorms around nine? That's not past your curfew, is it?" Penelope ignored the giggles of some of her sixth and seventh year friends, reaching her hand out to lace her fingers carefully through Ginny's hair then.

"No, of course not! I'll make it, I'll come." Ginny hadn't noticed the giggles either. She couldn't honestly believe her luck. Being invited to a Prefect's sleepover was the ultimate way of meeting friends - it didn't even happen to first years. There was a swelling feeling within Ginny's chest, a happiness that was starting to bud beautifully from within her nervous depths. _I can show them that I'll be a good friend. Wouldn't that be cool? To be friends with sixth and seventh year girls? Finally, someone to talk to besides my brothers. _It wasn't as though Ginny hated her brothers - not at all. After eleven years of constantly living in their shadow, however, Ginny relied on Hogwarts to give her the chance to make girlfriends she never had while living at the Burrow and pulling her from underneath their smoldering influence.

"That's wonderful, Ginny. We're going to do so much with your hair and your make up. You'll fit right in. See you tonight at nine." Penelope and her crew gathered their books so that they could head to their first class of the day.

Ginny's entire face flushed then, her head leaning down as her eyes squeezed close in excitement. Tonight was going to be her first real sleepover, and she had no idea what to do at one. She was just thinking of what pajamas to wear when she felt the familiar ruffle of larger hands in her hair and several arms made around her body. "Get off!" she whined, listening to the laughter of her brothers: the infamous Weasley boys.

"Oh, calm down little sister. We saw you talking to Percy's stalker." Fred and George, her older twin brothers, joked around by speaking identically and sitting next to her. Ron gave his approved laugh, snorting and chugging down the morning's eggs while Percy shot all four of them an evil glare.

From the distance, several people whispered and pointed towards the group of red-head boys. Ginny knew that her brothers were popular, and she felt slightly envious at how they always captured the appearance of the crowd. "I'm just going to a sleep over, that's all. Don't ruin this for me. George, give me back my toast!" The complaints from Ginny's voice caused all four boys to erupt in laughter and cooing of their little sister, a warm scene.

Nearly all eyes were focused on the five Weasley children, including a pair of silver ones.

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><p>"So, is it true that Percy has a beauty mark on his right butt-cheek?" Penelope couldn't help but ask Ginny, as all of the girls gathered around in a giggling circle after a few games. They now settled on Truth or Dare, and Ginny was the target of most of the girls' questions. Talked out of taking any dares due to being so little, thus it wouldn't have been as fun, they admitted that as long as Ginny told the truth about her brothers during the game, she would've contributed to the fun.<p>

"No, that is not true at all!" Ginny gasped, hugging the pillow close to herself. All of the girls' giggles fell silent then, and they looked at each other with uncertainty. "It's on his left..." Ginny released a small smile in surprise as all of the girls squealed with delight then, patting her on the shoulder in approval.

"Oi, Ginny. I don't see how you can stand it, living with such hot brothers. I'd have a case of… well, let's just say I would show them a good idea on sisterly love, if I were in your shoes." One of the girls, seventh-year Amberly Cole, braided gently into Ginny's hair as she spoke. Of course, Ginny didn't understand what she meant.

"They're not hot all of the time. They're annoying and mean and they tease me a lot." Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment as the others at the slumber party laughed. "No, really! You don't know the bad sides to my brothers. Percy thinks he's a know-it-all, Fred and George are always transfiguring my panties into other things. Ron fights with me all of the time. Bill's always trying to make me do chores, Charlie is _always _too busy for me..."

"Come on now, Ginny. Stop your whining," Penelope stated with a shake of her head. "Your brothers are all too busy to have to take care of such a whiny, little brat." When several girls chuckled at Penelope's phrase, Ginny felt her anger boil underneath the surface. "So, tell me, Ginny. Do you think I would make a good girlfriend to your brother, Percy? Do you think you can tell him that I'd be an excellent one? How you had so much fun at my sleepover? You're the only First Year to ever come, you know?"

"No!" Ginny came to a stand then, her pink pajamas no-where near as pink as the color of her cheeks.

Penelope sputtered as the other attendants of the party gasping suddenly at Ginny's actions. "N-no?"

"I said no! I'm not going to help his _stalker__._" Before Penelope could respond viciously in return, Ginny turned to run out of the Prefect's dorm.

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><p>No one dared to speak to her on the incident since then, and Ginny found that she was becoming very lonely. Her day usually consisted of going to class, sitting in the library to read, having lunch and dinner, and being on the teasing end of her brothers. The girls of Gryffindor glared at her with disdain, and the boys mostly kept from her out of respect for her elder brothers. The only ones that seemed to really care enough to keep an eye out for her were Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.<p>

So it surprised little Ginny one day in the Great Hall when two of the Quidditch players, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, sat next to her during lunch. Halted in taking a bite out of her sandwich, Ginny's eyes brightened when she noticed two of her school heroines taking their time out to speak to her. _Maybe they will let me play Quidditch with the team! _Her hopes whispered through her mind, and Ginny sat up eagerly. "Hi Angelina! Hi Katie!"

"Hello there, Ginny." Angelina spoke to her with a cool expression. Katie held up a small bag next to the girl then, sliding it in front of Ginny for her to take notice. "Do you like licorice wands? Chocolate Frogs? We got them for you when we went to Hogsmeade last weekend with your brothers." Angelina explained a few of the many goodies inside the bag.

Ginny's hand reached inside tentatively, pulling out the treats with a surprised expression on her face. "I love them! Wow, thanks Angelina; thanks Katie!"

"Don't mention it, Ginny. Say, if you want more things from Hogsmeade or from us, all you have to do is ask," Katie said, her hand coming out to stroke the younger girl's hair.

"Is that so?" Ginny tried not to take note of the familiar, warning feeling that started in the pool of her stomach.

"Oh, yes. We'll do anything for you, Ginny. That's what friends are for." Angelina spoke positively, both girls smiling at Ginny as though she were the center of their world.

Ginny's heart pulled downwards as she heard the word "Friends". That was what she wanted more than anything during her lonely weeks in Hogwarts. Learning magic was fun, using her wand made her feel like she had more purpose than just being the little sister to a bunch of rowdy boys. Yet, it was the lack of companionship that made dealing with Hogwarts nearly unbearable for Ginny. She was starting to grow homesick, wanting even her Mum. At least Molly made her feel more welcomed. So the hope that danced within Ginny's eyes was quite genuine.

"What do I have to do?" she asked cautiously. She noticed the looks on Angelina and Katie's faces as they glanced towards each other.

"Oh, well…" Katie stated, a little nervously. "It seems that Fred and George kind of stood us up for our dates last weekend. We wanted to know if perhaps you could talk to them for us. To see if they're mad - Ginny, wait. Ginny! Your candy!" It was too late.

Angelina swore as the small redhead pushed up from her seat, the tears flooding her eyes as she stormed away from the girls and left behind the candy. "Great, what in the world are we supposed to do now, Katie?"

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><p>"I don't understand. What is the matter with the Gryffindor girls? We're supposed to be brave together and have adventures and be friends and do each other's nails or something!" Ginny stormed around in Hermione's dorm, wailing to the one girl she felt was truly her friend at that moment. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail from her face, the wet-stained expression twisted into one of sadness and anger all in one. Ginny glanced up towards Hermione for an answer to the question - she was the most brilliant out of her network of Harry and Ron. Yet, all she could receive was a sigh and a small shaking of the head.<p>

"Ginny, honestly. I wish I could help you with this, but I'm in the middle of an essay, and I-"

"Just give me one minute of your time, Hermione? You're the only girl friend that I have, and I barely see you unless you're hanging around Harry and Ron!" Ginny whined, reaching over to plop on the girl's bed and bring her knees up to rest under her chin. "Let's do something together, Hermione. Just us two. As girls? I'm so alone..." The foreboding feeling crept back as Hermione's hand stroked into Ginny's hair, a reaction that Ginny finally found the proper word for when she noticed the other girls doing the same to her. _Patronizing me.. .that's what it is called. She is actually patronizing me. _

"Ginny." Hermione's voice was stern, tut-tuting in disapproval at the girl's behavior. "I know you're probably not accustomed to not being the center of everyone's attention now that you're no longer at home. . ."

"_What?_" Ginny's voice squeaked with incredulity.

Hermione continued, however. "It is just something you'll have to get used to, I'm afraid. Ron told me how it was for you when you lived at the Burrow. Your mum and dad nearly beat it into your brothers' minds that they have to watch and protect you since you were the only girl, and since you were the youngest. They spent all of their time drowning you in affection and attention, and anytime you wanted a playmate, you got one. All it is now is that you're having a hard time adjusting because you're not the center focus anymore. It's quite natural for a girl raised in your upbringing." Hermione explained, the twelve-year old sounding as pedantic as any of the professors at the school. She ignored the pure look of disbelief that crossed the girl's face, removing her fingers from Ginny's hair in order to move back towards the roll of parchment that settled on her desk. "I'm afraid I can't play nanny for you this time though, Ginny. Ron will be furious with me, but I'm awfully busy with the assignment given to us by Professor McGonagall -"

"You don't know shite!" Ginny knew how to swear, at least. That was something she learned from her older brothers and all of their _drowning attention. _Ginny's hands crossed over her chest as she stormed over toward the door.

"Oh, please don't tell me you're going to have a hissy fit like you did at Penelope's party, Ginny. That's not mature at all." Hermione's voice was irritatingly calm as she tutted once more. "You wonder why you have such few girl friends…"

"You're only my friend because of Ron! All of you are _vultures_! Ugly, manipulative _vultures!_" Ginny cried out in anger, rushing out of the room of her last girlfriend at Hogwarts.

Ginny Weasley believed that her years at Hogwarts were going to be filled with never-ending friendships, mass stories for the ages, and the glory years of her adolescence and her youth.

She was _wrong._

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><p><strong>AN: **If you ever were the younger, unpopular sibling to the popular kids at your school, I cry for you. Stay tuned! _  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

_The Day Everything Changed_. [**Second Year.**]

"Now raise your wand arm like this. Swish and flick." By Hermione Granger's third year, nearly all of the school was aware of her brilliance. First years eagerly gathered around her in the library in order to receive her assistance. It also helped that the most brilliant witch at the school was best friends with one of the popular Weasley boys, Ron, and the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. Inside the library, Hermione was surrounded by a group of first years, the students eager for her advice on magic and their classes.

"I - I can't get it, Hermione!" One small girl whined as she flicked her wand too hard, sending the nearest stack of books on their table toppling over. "I'm sorry, Hermione! Sorry!" She moved to pick it up, gathering the books as fast as she could while blushing at the giggles from her peers.

"That's alright, Lydia," Hermione encouraged, giving the others a scolding expression as she tapped her wand on the desk. "We will return back to the _Wingardium Leviosa_ swish and -"

"Here you are." A firm hand assisted Lydia with placing the books back together, and all eyes were focused on the red hair of Ginny Weasley. She offered Lydia a small smile, wondering why the girl appeared so frightened by her presence. "It's alright, take it. A hint? Don't swish your wand too hard - you are levitating objects, not throwing them across the room. I don't mean to interrupt your session, Hermione."

"I'm sure." Hermione's lips were in a tight line. Her eyes rolled over Ginny's appearance, the elder trying to hide the scorn she felt for the sake of the other students in her presence. "If it's Ron that you are looking for, he's in the Quidditch Pitch with Harry. Now, if you would excuse us, Ginny, we're in the middle of a lesson."

"Actually, I was wondering if you would, ah, like some assistance? There are a lot of students here; I don't mind helping." Ginny could see the scathing look that Hermione shot at her and blushed incredulously. She felt foolish for letting go of the only girl friend she felt she had in the school so far; Hermione Granger was not someone you wanted as your enemy. During the summer, she couldn't help but feel the gnawing ache of having absolutely no one to talk to or relate to. Though Hermione was pretentious, she filled that mind-numbing loneliness for a little while. Ginny knew she was desperate, but she wanted it back. Some semblance of a friendship was better than none.

"I don't _need _your help, Ginny," Hermione started, but one of the girls finally peeked up and pointed at Ginny.

"Isn't she Ginny Weasley - the one we're supposed to stay away from? She's really mean and she'll hex all of us if we ask her about her brothers!" Murmurs picked up then from the other first years, all oblivious to the true nature of her accusations. They all turned toward Hermione as though they were searching for a true answer to their question.

By the tapping on the elder witch's wand, they quieted down. "Now, now. No more of that nonsense. Everyone open your books to page fifteen -"

"Hermione," Ginny tried, but the bushy haired girl continued without so much as giving a farewell glance.

"- the maneuvers for the swish and flick are positioned on the page." Hermione decided to give one more glance as she noticed Ginny turning strictly from the study group, bounding away from the library as fast as her legs could take her. A pinched expression formed around her mouth, before she bent back towards her book to continue the tutoring.

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><p>Ginny's eyes were squeezed shut for a moment, her running form aiming for the nearest door that would take her outside and away from the castle. Her prior encounter with Hermione left her emotionally distraught and disgusted with herself for trying to beg for the comradery that was once shared between the girls. If Hermione wanted nothing to do with her ever again, Ginny had to let her pride accept it and feel the same. <em>I just wish it didn't have to be this way<em>_…_

"Oi, watch where the hell you're going, Weasley!"

Ginny heard the cry before she felt the crash of her body knocking into a taller, burlesque form. Hands gripped at her shoulders and shoved her into the wall, forcing the breath to fly out of her lungs. Squinting her eyes, she jumped as a hardened face moved closer to hers, the boy's smooth features scaring her just a little. His eyebrows were dark and bushy, his skin dark as coffee, and his hair short and close to his handsome face. He placed an arm next to Ginny's head, his palm flat against the wall, as she tried to push off from the uncomfortable position against the wall.

"Well, if it isn't the little girl Weasley? It's the one that doesn't matter. Look at her; she looks like she's about to cry."

From what Ginny could catch, there were several more people behind the boy. They each laughed as he teased her, watching how she squirmed in discomfort from their bullying. Her eyes gazed down to the color of their ties, a little more than surprised that they were green, instead of the red she'd grown accustomed to seeing in times like this. Ginny's tongue snaked out to lick against her dry lips. "You're Slytherins."

"Are you daft to the point that you don't even know your superiors? We thought those idiotic brothers of yours would've given you some clue by now." A dark-haired girl moved next to the boy who pinned her in place, laying her shoulder lazily against the wall and closing Ginny in. She ran her eyes over the terrified Weasley's features, her hand coming up to toy with a lock of Ginny's red hair. "I'll be nice and do you a service. My name is Pansy, and this is Blaise, Millicent, and Goyle. Now that you know the names of those who are better than you, you should give us a bow."

"Why in the world would I want to do that?" Ginny's nose wrinkled, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She was surrounded by Slytherins; from what her brothers told her, they were the budding start of powerful Dark wizards and witches whose goal was to do nothing but spread pain.

"Why, we're lords and ladies of this castle, and you're just a pauper. A common filth. Not even your own house gives you the time of day, from what we hear. It is customary for you to give respect to those who are of higher class than you." The one named Blaise flashed Ginny a brilliant smile, his hand coming to cup Ginny's chin.

"Lords and ladies actually take the time out to harass those of a 'lower status'? It sounds like a cowardly lot." Ginny bit out the retort, finding herself burning at the accusation of being nothing but common filth. How dare they? Who _were _they? She had to deal with the bullying and the looks from the girls of Gryffindor, but she didn't have to take it from a load of evil, slithering dark wannabes.

"How _dare _you -" Millicent stood behind Blaise, her hand reaching down to yank out her wand. She froze as a Leg-Locking Jinx hit her from behind, knocking her over.

"Oi, come on, you blimey snakes! You should know if you mess with one Weasley, you mess with them all!" Fred shouted with happiness, and Ginny found relief flood her veins at the sight of her twin brothers coming out with wands blazing.

Though they risked detention for the use of the wands in an inappropriate situation, she found that she was eager to do the same as the Slytherins backed off of Ginny then. Her hand went to her own wand and she pointed it towards the dueling Goyle, levitating him into the air in order to thrust her wand forward and throw him into the wall. She beamed at her brothers, who dodged counter-curses in order to send their full assault towards the four Slytherins and make them flee.

"Ginny, run! Leave before Filch catches you and throws you into detention! Stay away from snakes, eh?" George gave his little sister a quick kiss on her head, pushing her into the direction of the courtyard and away from the scene where several of the professors were making their way.

"Thank you!" There were several reasons why Ginny didn't regret having her brothers, despite the school wanting to use her to get closer to them or use them to bully her. They truly cared about her, and in return, she cared about them just as much.

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><p>The sun was warm as Ginny laid underneath one of the trees near the Quidditch Pitch, listening to several students murmuring and talking. Ginny placed her hands underneath her head, her eyes squinting towards the sky as thoughts rushed through her head. <em>So the Slytherins know my brothers… and its clear they don't like them. That means that I'm bound to receive some of their nastiness during the years because I'm a Weasley. On top of that, I have to deal with the Gryffindor girls who want to get into my brothers' pants by any means necessary. All of this is dreadful, how am I ever going to survive? <em>Her hands tightened around her hair and she sat up quickly in order to shake her head wildly, clearing her thoughts.

"Enough of that, Ginny. You're a Weasley, damnit. You're stronger than this. You won't let anyone get you down!" Ginny said to herself, opening her eyes and taking in a deep breath. She wouldn't let the loneliness defeat her so soon in her years of Hogwarts. There were two more Houses that she hadn't even thought to try - Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Even if no luck came from there, she would get past her years with her head held high and a smile on her face. Something within her would make her stand out from her brothers - it was just a matter of bringing that something out.

"I do hope you keep up that winner's attitude when the Slytherins find you again." A firm, male voice rang through the air. "They won't take too kindly to knowing your brothers released an onslaught upon their efforts to intimidate you. You're going to pay for their mistakes."

"I dare them to try again." Ginny's eyes turned behind her to search for the source of the voice. When she found him, her body moved into a quick stand at the sight of his green tie and blond hair. His silver eyes latched onto her chocolate ones, and she pushed back some of her own red hair in subconscious worry. _He's pretty… for a boy, I guess, _Ginny thought, her chin lifting in defiance as she noticed that he had to be a Slytherin as well. "Are you here to try and get revenge for your friends? I won't let you." Much to her surprise, he started to chuckle.

"I'm just here to give you fair warning, _Weasley_. You have a lot of enemies, if the rumors about you are correct." He leaned against the bark of the tree where she laid under so comfortably, his arms crossed over his chest as he kept his eyes locked on hers. "I'd hate to see that you make so many, your strength suddenly fades. If you knew anything about Slytherin, you'd know that isn't a house you'd want to make enemies with. There are a lot of Weasley boys, but there is only one Weasley girl."

"How do you even know who I am? Who are you?" Ginny found herself asking, placing her hands on her hips. "Rumors are only going to get you so far, you know. If you'd stop and got to know the real me, then maybe you'd see that I'm undeserving of them."

"Draco Malfoy, at your service. So you don't hex anyone sideways that attempts to use you for information on your brothers, who outshine you at every turn and outweigh you in personality? You're not Ginny Weasley, the mad harpy who clings to her brothers and rages if anyone else tries to do the same?" He asked in what appeared to be an innocent tone, but it didn't stop the girl from sending her fist into his arm. "Ow! That bloody hurts, you bloody - " His voice died when he saw the tears starting to form in her chocolate depths and her face that turned red with fury.

"None of you know a thing about me! If all of these girls didn't try so hard to get into my brothers' pants, then these rumors wouldn't even start. I refuse to let people use me!" Ginny shouted, bringing her hands up to cover her face. Her shoulders shook then as the tears threatened to spill over her eyes. _If I start bawling here in front of Draco Malfoy, I will die. I heard of him. Harry and Ron hates his guts and I have to keep away from him. He's supposed to be the slimiest Slytherin of them all..__._Ginny felt surprised when his hand petted her on top of her head.

"You're right. No one knows anything about you, other than what you show them. Maybe if you tried a little harder, you'd find that there are some people who are willing to learn." He offered this with a small shrug, watching her red eyes turn and gaze upon him in question. "What? I know you expected me to hex you, but hexing a little girl would just look utterly cowardly. I'd like to keep my Lord Title pure, thank you."

"You're not a slimy git," Ginny said in surprise, and found that she rather liked the sound of Draco Malfoy's laughter.

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><p>For once, Ginny felt happy. She walked through the halls of Hogwarts after meeting, who she felt to be, her first real friend - and it was Draco Malfoy of all people. Her body moved as though she were dancing, the lonely feeling tucked away where she wished it'd stay forever. Several eyes turned in her direction, gazing at her with envy, loathing, confusion, and amusement. The ones that did count, however, belonged to Pansy and Millicent. Their intention became clear as they pushed through the crowd toward the swaying Ginny Weasley.<p>

"Hey, _pauper!" _Millicent shouted, capturing several of the students' attention with this, including their target. Watching Ginny turn to face behind her, her wand shot out a leg-locking hex, narrowly missing. It crashed into the statue, falling over while students moved out of the way to clear the hall for the furious Slytherins.

_Oh shite. Shite! _Ginny knew she should've heeded Draco's warning. He told her this was bound to happen, but so soon? She ducked and turned into the nearest corridor, rushing down the hall and holding tightly to her wand in case she had to deflect a spell. _I need a place to hide! I need a place to hide! _she thought desperately to herself. Maybe if it were just Millicent by herself, Ginny could try to duel the girl and show her the Weasley fury as it was meant to be. Yet, it was both Millicent and Pansy, and she knew she was going to have a horrid time with both. Her body fell over as she heard the blast from another spell collide with the statue next to her, shattering it. The material fell before her feet and she slipped, her elbows knocking painfully against the ground.

"Oh, we're going to teach you for flirting with your superiors, Weasley. Did you think you could get away with talking to Draco Malfoy?" Pansy's screeching gave away the fact that she was livid. Another curse was thrown at Ginny, who rolled on the ground to miss it and brought her wand in front of her to shield.

"I should've known you would be jealous. Mad, however? Didn't my brothers teach you anything?"

"I don't see your brothers anywhere around. Nothing will save you!" Millicent brought her wand up again for a silencing spell, thrusting her wand fiercely at Ginny, the light sparking from its tip to fly toward her mouth.

_I really should just shut up._ Ginny thought to herself, hoping for some kind of place to hide as she brought her wand up to deflect it. She saw, much to her surprise, a door materialize onto the wall next to her fallen form. Percy warned her of the many places that were hidden within Hogwarts, and the secrets and dangers they held. Facing two dark witches were even more dangerous, however. _No time to wonder. _Her hand gripped onto the doorknob, and with a desperate push, she threw herself through the opening and watched it close with a loud **BANG! **

"Wonderful," Ginny said out loud as all the racket behind the door disappeared, the door along with it.

The dimness of the room didn't give Ginny any comfort. From what she could see, random objects were laid around on the floor of the room; turning behind her, she saw that the room stretched indefinitely from the door, objects scattered everywhere. _A closet? Now how do I leave, exactly? _Ginny wondered to herself as she crawled over stacks of disposables and attempted to figure out where she was. A loud clattering and a shimmering light reflected onto Ginny's face, capturing her attention from her task. i_Really?/i _She questioned, feeling her humor level rise slightly at the sight of a golden lamp rolling from underneath one of the tall piles of collective garbage.

"I suppose this is the only way to get out, hm? Just _wish _myself out of here?" Ginny asked out loud to no one in particular, the events of the day driving her patience extremely thin. She reached out to snatch at the lamp and bring it in front of her face. "If this even works…" She shook the lamp just a little, trying to hear if there was anything inside. "What am I supposed to do again? How to make it work?" Her fingers rubbed along the length of the lamp while she thought deeply to herself, trying to remember what she had learned about the Djinn and their mystical properties. Ginny didn't give any regard to the lamp itself until it burned hot in her fingers, causing her to drop it in pain.

"That's not a nice thing to do!" A voice boomed from what was apparently the smaller end of the lamp. It began to rattle harshly on the ground, spinning rapidly.

Blinking, Ginny gazed dumbly at the gold lamp. Her body stepped back out of habit as a blaze of heat rose from the lamp itself, the gold light shining into the darkness of the room. She pushed her palms in front of her face, trying to protect herself from the light. "I didn't mean to drop you, Mr. Lamp! Forgive me!" _Today just gets worse and worse…_

"First of all, I'm not a 'Mister.' Second of all, I'm not a lamp. Gaze upon me, young Mistress. You summoned me, after all." The booming voice seemingly calmed down, and Ginny could hear the feminine blend of alto and soprano radiate directly in front of her. When her eyes peered from between her fingers, she found the image of a woman standing in front of her - a silk shroud covering her form from shoulder to hips, her hair tied back into a dark ponytail and her eyes shining white. Ash-colored markings ran in intricate patterns over her skin.

"You're a… a…" Ginny found it hard to speak, and the woman reached out to swat against the girl's stumbling mouth.

"Illithya at your service, and yes, I'm a Djinni. Stop fumbling with your words; people will think you are weird."

_Wonderful, I'm getting scolded by a supernatural creature. _"Aren't you supposed to say 'Your Wish is My Command' and snap your fingers to make all of my wishes come true?" Ginny questioned carefully, ensuring that she wasn't stumbling over her words. She felt uncomfortable when Illithya began to laugh, shaking her head as though Ginny said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Too much Disney, eh?" When she noticed the look of confusion on Ginny's face, Illithya waved her hand. "Never mind that. You've heard wrong about my kind. You see, the Djinn already know the wishes of a mortal's heart. You do not have to tell me a thing, Ginevra Weasley, about what you want. I already know what that is."

"So… you know that I want to get out of this closet?" Ginny asked warily. She felt annoyed when the laughter started again.

"It is too simple to leave this place. This is not a closet. Yet, I do not think that is the reason why your heart called for me, Ginevra Weasley. What you wish is something much, much more than just meager escape." Illithya spoke in a mystical voice and placed her hand against Ginny's cheek. Warmth radiated from her touch, all sorts of tempting promises whispering from the contact.

In that moment, Ginny felt the power of the Djinn, and what she could really offer. "What could it be?"

"Acceptance." Illithya didn't miss the way Ginny's eyes widened. "I know that you are lonely, Ginevra Weasley. I know you do not wish to be hated by the students in the school. I could make that happen for you. I could make you the most accepted witch in the entire school. Everyone would love you. Everyone would want to be you. You would become more than what your brothers _ever _could be."

"You could do that for me?" Ginny asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her heart raced and her mind whirred. To outshine her popular brothers? It was a tempting offer, for sure. Ginny didn't see any bad sides to the deal so far, or how it would even come to work. Illithya's touch, however, told all sorts of possibilities. The preternatural whispers within her ears gave her comfort.

"I could. It would… only require a small little sacrifice." Illithya beamed at Ginny, as if the sacrifice was the smallest, most insignificant thing in the world.

"Sacrifice?" Ginny pulled her shoulder from underneath Illithya's touch then, seemingly coming back to her senses. Any sort of magic, be it normal Wizarding spells to the most supernatural of things, that required a sacrifice needed to be paid attention to. She learned that much at school so far - all things eventually had their price. "What kind of sacrifice could someone like you need? I won't give you blood. That's Dark magic." Ginny felt her teeth sink into her lip at Illithya's laughter once more. _I'm going to stuff her back in her lamp if she laughs at me one more time…_

"No, no little Ginevra. Nothing like that at all. I know you're a _good _girl." Illithya stepped back from Ginny then, her taller, mystical form walking around the young ginger with intent, her gaze engaging. "In fact, you're such a good girl that you're going to like the sacrifice that I require from you. Pure, sweet Ginevra, who would never allow for anyone to hurt her or use her for any purpose but her own. Do you think you could remain pure for the remainder of your years in Hogwarts? Even if temptation strikes at you to act differently? If you could do that, then I will be more than willing to assist you."

"Pure?" Ginny rubbed her chin, feeling the prickle of magic she did not understand caress her skin. "What do you mean _pure?" _

"Oh, it's quite simple. Witches, who remain pure, untouched, are known to produce quite pure magic in retrospect. You will not learn this in Hogwarts, but your virginity is a special cause - more special than any non-magical folk could ever wish for. It links to unknown levels of power, and I have never had the opportunity to truly see something as such blossom -" Illithya attempted to start, but Ginny waved her hands in front of the Djinni's face, shaking her head rapidly at the woman's speech.

"Hold it. Hold. It. You're saying that all I would have to do is… not let boys… Of course I wouldn't let boys in Hogwarts _do _that! They're all idiots! Bloody idiots who probably wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole due to my brothers in the first place!" Ginny blushed then, peeking her eyes through in order to stare at Illithya.

"So you do agree to this deal? You keep your purity through your lessons and trials in Hogwarts, and in return, I shall give you the acceptance you wanted and more?" Illithya's eyes shined as the ash-colored markings on her skin began to move and dance. She grinned when Ginny's eyes widened at the sudden shift of power, her hand coming out to hover at the girl's forehead.

"This will work? People won't hate me anymore?"

"No one could hate someone they desperately wish to become, Ginevra. You will be exalted beyond your wildest imagination. A Djinni, especially one as old as I am, can never hold back from a wish. Simply want it to be, and I shall make it so..." Illithya said, wiggling her fingers in front of Ginny's eyes. "So long as you never, ever take back your word to me. Shall you do so, and I'm afraid what you suffer now will pale in comparison to the backlash."

A shudder ran through Ginny at that moment, wondering the true nature of what Illithya was asking for. Plenty of warnings sounded off in her head - things her brothers would say, things her mother would say, things that probably Hermione would scold her over with her pedantic tone and her know-it-all gaze and manner. _Well, Hermione's already popular. She doesn't have to search for a Djinni in order to make her wishes come true. No one will even give me a chance…_

_Not unless you try a little harder, _Draco's voice rang in her head at that moment. _You'll find people who are willing to learn, then._

For Ginny, this was her chance to really try.

"Alright, Illithya. You have a deal. I wish that I was more popular in Hogwarts - " Ginny jumped as Illithya's fingers popped her mouth once more, in a silencing motion.

"It doesn't work that way, you silly little mortal. Feel your desire in your heart, and swear to me by the words that for the exchange of your maidenhead, you will be accepted by all that looks at you. This isn't Disney, I swear that place has given all of our Djinn a horrid name." Illithya pressed her hands against Ginny's forehead, the ash-colored markings flooding the cheeks of the younger girl for that moment. They were connected, magic by magic, and Ginny could hear the echo of her heart's desire within her mind. She knew the words as plain as day, coming to her lips before she could really think about them.

"I swear by the power of the Djinn, bound to Illithya, the price of my maidenhead-" _Did I really have to call it that? _" - for the love and acceptance of my peers." Ginny gasped as the warmth flooded her body at that moment, and Illithya's smiling form began to disappear before her in a translucent shimmer.

"As so you swear, Ginevra Weasley, so shall it be."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Its only going to get crazier from this point on! Hold on tight for the ride! Thanks for the reviews, and enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

_Special thanks to cherryredxx for beta-ing this wild adventure. Without you, I'm just a grammar pathetic niffler. 3_

**_Of Friends, Skirts, Boys, and Parties. [Third Year.]_**

_Dearest Draco,_

_The summer at the Burrow is always brutally hot. I found that I'm left with nothing more to do than to de-gnome the garden and to sweep, dust, and clean the entire house from the floor to the attic. I'm not quite sure if the ghoul would appreciate the fact that his haunted home has things that need to be disposed of quickly, but it isn't as though he contributes to the household. Thus, I believe he doesn't have much say so _

Ginny's hand quickly curled that parchment into a tight ball, jumping up from her bed in order to pace once more. That wasn't a letter to give to Draco Malfoy, the most popular Slytherin at Hogwarts and her only friend. It screamed of desperation, of loneliness for companionship, of dreadful boredom that she suffered from the lack of comradery that was present at the Burrow for her summer. For a full house of people, Ginny felt mind-numbingly bored, as though none of her brothers or Harry or Hermione could do a thing to pull her out of her depressed slump.

She believed that Illithya, the mystical Djinni that gave her the opportunity to change her school trials completely around, would have pulled through for her immediately after her wish had been cast and the deal was made in between the two. Yet, everything continued to be the same. Ginny fought hard to avoid the girls of Slytherin and Gryffindor, watched as the boys of all houses continued to keep their distance from her, and the rumors about her harpy ways continued to spread through the school. She'd never felt so relieved to break for summer, to look forward to lonely days of cooking and cleaning with her mother and playing Wizard's Chess with her father.

_Draco,_

Ginny started again, plopping onto her bed and picking up her run-down quill, grasping onto a new parchment. She had to say something, and fast. She couldn't use all of her stationary on letters that just didn't seem good enough. "Just be honest, Ginny. In the end, he's just a boy. Like your brothers. Like Harry." She propped herself up, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her breathing.

_If you haven't seen me during our previous year of school, it__'__s because I purposely avoided you. _

Well, that was honest.

_You seem to have a fan-club that expands beyond the mere green of your Slytherin colors. Your mean, little witches sought out for vengeance when they found out that we had our pleasant conversation near the Quidditch field. I am not trying to tattle on anyone__**,**__ so I will not name any names. I would only like for you to see that you are being watched, and that I acknowledge how dangerous it may be for someone like me to know someone like you. _

Ginny re-read over the last part she wrote, feeling a small chill run through her spine at that. It was foreboding, almost fearful. Her brothers didn't care for Draco at all, and the school believed that the Slytherins were the budding start of Dark witches and wizards. He was no exception, no matter how outrageously beautiful he was to look at. Ginny held her quill over the line, wondering if she should scratch it out in fear of sounding too afraid to be the friend of Draco Malfoy.

_I don't care, however. No matter who says it is a bad thing to be your acquaintance, I cannot honestly find one thing about you that would make me not want to be your friend. If you are willing to ignore the rumors said about me, then why should I not do the same for you? For this year, Draco, I would like to not avoid you any longer. I do not care who is upset about it. _

_I write you this letter in hopes that your summer is not as dreadfully dull as mine is -_

"Oi, little sister. Are you writing a _love _letter to your crush?" The parchment was snatched out of Ginny's hands, her quill running along the edge of the material and off onto her bed. She jumped then, turning to see Fred grasping onto her letter and waving it in the air. A furious blush crossed Ginny's features as Fred's mouth opened to repeat the words on the letter back to her, his voice an octave higher in order to try and match Ginny's.

"Fred, give that back!" Ginny shouted, jumping off of the bed and into the air to snatch at the paper that Fred held hostage in the air.

"Why would you even write to someone like Malfoy in the first place? Do you like him? Ah, Ginny. That's sick! He's such a pasty looking troll!" Fred laughed as Ginny continued to struggle against him for the parchment. "Hey, George! It looks like we have a troll to kill - OUCH!" He doubled over as Ginny's fist slugged into his solar plexus then, knocking the wind out of him. "Why you evil little -"

"You're not going to do anything to him! I'll curse your lips shut, Fred, if you say one word of this to _anyone_." Ginny's eyes flashed with promise, grasping at the parchment and ripping it to shreds before Fred could take it back from her. A pain shot through her lower stomach at that moment, ebbing and vicious. Ginny gasped and fell back against her bed, crossing her arms across her stomach and wincing in pain. "Stop it, Fred!"

"Stop what, you mad niffler? I haven't done anything to you!" Fred sat up as soon as he could breathe, his eyes widening at seeing Ginny's face contorted in pain. "Ginny… Gin, what's wrong with you? Come on, you can tell me."

"It hurts… it hurts, ah!" Ginny shouted in agony, her body's soreness making it impossible for Fred to touch her. She shook her head, waving her hand wildly at Fred in order to push his concern form off of her. "Get Mum, Fred. Please?" Her voice wavered, tears coming to her eyes at the intensity of the pain flowering around her lower regions. She watched her brother's head nod, heard the calling of Molly's name, and turned onto her back. A gush of warmth met the juncture of her thighs, and Ginny's eyes fluttered open in surprise at the feeling of stickiness. Fingers crawled to detect the new feeling, tips stained with red.

"Oh, Ginny…" Molly's voice sounded relieved, the woman's form leaning against the doorway of Ginny's room with a small smile on her face. She noticed the stains of blood on Ginny's fingers, and the surprised, hiccupping sobs that Ginny was starting to make out of fear. Molly's arms went to collect her daughter, smoothing out her hair and whispering calming words. "Ginny, come along. Let's run you a bath. It's perfectly natural, dear; it only means you're becoming a healthy, young woman."

* * *

><p>The Sorting Ceremony was a joy to watch - the excited faces of the new witches and wizards reminded Ginny of her own sorting into Gryffindor, like the rest of her brothers. <em>Funny, the Sorting Hat really wanted to put me in Slytherin. My brothers would've probably burned it on the spot it'd dared… <em>She sighed wistfully at the bouncing students, the Great Hall in an uproar since the beginning of the term was once again starting. Ginny squirmed as she felt, once again, the tightened bosom of her sweater nearly choke around her firm upper body. Ever since her summer changed for the worse, her body no longer fit properly into her clothing.

_We'll shop for you around the hols, Ginny. Until then, make use of the sewing charms I've showed you. A few glamours here and there should get you by until we are able to get you some new dresses, dear._

Ginny stabbed her fork into her Shepherd's pie at the thought of her mother's words. _Just face it, I'm getting fat. _She moaned internally, pushing aside the pie after a careful inspection of it. If her shirts didn't want to fit around the bulging mounds that were turning into her breasts or her skirts didn't want to settle around the curvy jutting of her hips, then she was going to have to diet. She felt a ruffle of affection within the red curls of her hair, and turned to find Ron beaming down at her, clearly caught in the excitement of the sorting.

"You feeling okay, Ginny? Mum said that we should keep a closer eye on you during school, you know. With your sickness and all," Ron stated genuinely, his concern for his sister dancing through his eyes. Behind him, Hermione gave a sharp, scathing look toward Ginny before turning her nose back to her book, her eyebrow rose in expectation.

"Ah, it's alright, Ron. You don't have to do that. Mum says it's a girl thing - you wouldn't know what it means anyway." Ginny felt the heat of her anger start to boil over the limit point. With a sensitive body came an even more sensitive temper, and she had no patience to deal with the pedantic gazes of Hermione Granger. Her hands slapped onto the table then, capturing some of the attention of the Gryffindors at the table as she rose to a stand.

"You're going to interrupt the ceremony, Ginny. You should sit down." Hermione shuffled a piece of pie into her mouth, her voice stinging with pretentiousness.

"I'm going to the loo, Hermione. Or are you going to tell me there are rules against excusing myself for that? Do I need a lesson in learning how to hold my piss so everyone else can feel peachy? We can meet in the library after the ceremony; I'd love to have you for a tutor." Ginny's voice wavered with nervousness - was she standing up to Hermione? She felt empowered at that moment for some odd reason. It felt dream-like, watching the surprised expression cross over the golden trio's faces. Hermione stiffened in front of Ginny then, her lips tightly pressed together and her skin paling at the commentary.

"I'd be more than willing to give you lessons on proper manners, Ginny, but not at the moment, alright? Let's save this for later," Hermione quickly stated, placing her eyes upon Ginny as though she expected her to follow the command: _Do not cross me._ It was clearly blended within the irises of Hermione, and Ginny couldn't help but take the bait.

"No, we can settle it right now, Hermione. I was talking to Ron, yet you always seem to find an excuse to slight me at every turn when you're in the presence of my brother. I wonder why."

"Ginny, come on. I don't know much about girl friendships, but don't you think you and Hermione are being a little ridiculous?" Ron questioned, reaching his hand out to grasp Ginny's wrist and settle her down.

"Ridiculous!" Ginny cried out, her temper clearly taking over any reasonable thought. Several eyes in the Hall turned to face the two Weasley children then, tables quieting down to listen to another infamous Weasley spat. Much to their surprise, it was between the Weasley girl and one of the boys - a first. "The only ones that are ridiculous are you and your stupid fan girls! I am sick of you and Fred and George ignoring what's obviously going on here. Let _go _of me, Ron!"

"Ginny, calm down! I don't know what's gotten into you! Ow - don't scratch me!" Ron yanked Ginny forward, ignoring the slight ripping noise that was starting on his sister's body. Ginny's thrashing grew wilder in her anger; the two's struggling attempting to be calmed by Harry and Hermione until -

"Oi, Weasley! Polka dots! That's so adorable!" A loud gasp and several laughs froze Ginny in her place.

"What?" She glanced down to see that her skirt completely ripped up the side of her thigh, the flimsy material hanging halfway off of her thighs and falling into a pool of fabric on the floor the moment she stood still. Whistles echoed through the Great Hall as they took notice to the little Weasley in her form-fitting knickers, dots of pink and red covering the white material. Her hands yanked from the stunned Ron then, reaching down to cover the curve of her exposed hips and arse to Hogwarts' population.

"Take it off! Come on, Weasley, show us what you got! Ooh, you've grown into quite the lady!"

The words forced a rush of red to crawl from the bottom of Ginny's toes all the way to her scalp, completely embarrassed from this new form of attention. They weren't ridiculing her - they were i_complimenting/i_ her. She barely heard Ron's growl, or felt his school robe attempting to cover her exposed legs and thighs. She could only glance around the school as boys cooed at her and girls stared with incredulous, envious looks towards the Weasley girl. All eyes were on her at that moment, and Ginny felt her head spin with the knowledge of it all.

Her eyes finally settled on the Slytherin table, which ranged from compliments to harsh insults courtesy of Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode. Even Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle were smiling in her direction, an appreciative gaze luring over her body. Ginny's attention only went to that of silver eyes, who gave no indication of appreciation or disapproval. Draco's eyes only gazed upon Ginny as though she'd landed herself into more trouble than she knew was coming, and the foreboding feeling washed over her body once more.

She ran. That was all she could honestly do at that point.

* * *

><p>Ginny made sure to avoid Hermione Granger from that moment on. There was something indescribably worse with knowing that it was her little feud with Hermione that sparked the entire Hogwarts' sudden interest in the growth and development of Ginny Weasley. As she walked down the hall toward the courtyard's entrance, she was thankful that classes were over. Ginny didn't think she could stomach another questionable gaze turned in her direction, boy or girl.<p>

"Hey, Ginny! Hey!" The calling of her name forced Ginny to bite down a groan. She turned around to face the dark-haired Romilda Vane, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil flanking her left and right. The girls all appeared nervous and frightful, as though Ginny would blow their heads off from merely calling her name. _I probably will if they ask me one single thing about Ron or George or - _

"Ginny, I couldn't help but notice that your hair is so glossy…" Romilda started quickly, giving Ginny a kind smile. "No beautifying charm that I use could ever produce such a shine to my own hair? Do you have a secret?"

Before Ginny could open her mouth, Lavender whacked Romilda in the arm. "Don't be so insensitive! You can't just ask Ginny for the secrets to her beauty without first seeing if she's alright from that Great Hall spectacle!" Lavender tutted softly then, turning to give Ginny a concerning once-over. "Ginny, are you alright? We saw what happened in the Great Hall last week. We don't think that it was funny at all for your skirt to rip the way it did. Are your clothes too small?"

"You are starting to grow, Ginny. You look so different this year! Are your tailoring charms working? I know a few that may assist you better than the ones you're using," Parvati offered, giving Ginny a hopeful smile of her own. "Romilda is honestly not polite at all. If you help us with your beautifying charms, we can give you some secrets of our own, you know?"

Ginny only gaped at the girls during a pregnant pause. _They… want to help me? _She believed the rumors were bound to grow worse after her embarrassing spectacle during the Sorting Ceremony. Ginny's eyes constantly searched for the transfiguration of her other clothes into polka-dotted horrors. She waited for moving pictures of her ripping skirt and the exposure of her thighs to appear all over the schools. Something! Her silence ran long enough when she saw that the girls were starting to look disappointed.

"Well, if you didn't want to -" Romilda started, but Ginny took her wand out and pointed it at Romilda's hair. Lavender and Parvati gasped, but Ginny was fast in casting her shining charm upon the girl's hair, which gave the lackluster black of Romilda's hair a healthy shine, curling the ends.

"I'll help. I don't mind at all." Ginny couldn't help but smile back towards the eager girls, feeling a giddiness flow through her form. Not once did they ask about her brothers, but for her genuine help. "I have loads of secrets given to me by my mother, things that would make your skin softer than silk and your hair healthier. If you... if you want." Ginny blushed at the girls' happiness.

"Yes, yes! Why don't you come sleep in the dorm with Parvati and I?" Lavender invited, bringing her arm around Ginny's body in affection. "Just for one night. We'll tailor all of your clothes so that way they'll fit you better and exchange secrets. Don't worry. We know about your party with Penelope Clearwater, and we can promise we won't ask a word about your brothers."

Parvati and Romilda laughed then, and Ginny found that she was laughing as well with them.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Mum,<em>

Ginny's hand tightened onto the Owl Post's entrance, sliding it open and ignoring the sudden 'hoo's' of the many creatures within. She picked out a treat from the pocket of her skirt in order to give it to Pigwidgeon, her current owl at the school. Her hair tied into a curly ponytail and sandals adorned her feet - shoes carefully selected from her new girlfriends of the Gryffindor House. Parvati absolutely refused to let her wear her brothers' old shoes any longer.

_I hope this owl reaches you in good condition. Things at Hogwarts are changing for the better. I've made so many friends, and they've given me wonderful assistance with my tailoring charms so my clothes fit more. We share clothes now, so you will not have to ask Dad for money to shop for a whole new wardrobe set during the Hols. Instead, use that money to make the Yule__'__s the best this year. _

"Here, Pigwidgeon. Take this to Mum as soon as possible. It's quite urgent. More treats await you if you return within three days." Ginny promised her little owl, petting him on the top of his head and reaching down to attach the parchment to his little foot. She was preoccupied, so it surprised her to feel a hand grip suddenly at her elbow.

_I'm running low on different effects for my hair. I know the curling charms are marvelous, but perhaps I could learn a charm or two that will keep these styles in place? When the weather of Hogwarts grows bleak, the curls fall right out of my hair. If you know of ways to conceal my freckles more, I'd love those charms too, Mum. I wouldn't be anything without your beauty secrets. _

"It's a shame that I nearly have to frighten you in order to finally capture your attention, after being ignored for months." Draco's customary drawl was absent, his eyes intent as he watched Ginny's body jump and collide into the owl cage above her. "Did I shock you that much?"

"Malfoy, what are you doing sneaking up on me like that? I nearly knocked the cage over!" Ginny scolded, trying to straighten out the borrowed blouse of Lavender's, blushing and keeping her eyes from meeting his own. She could i_feel/i _his gaze run over her body, drinking its feel of her current appearance and scrutinizing her at every point. Ginny kept her chin up and her attention on Pigwidgeon.

_Everything's changed, Mum. Different. I think the school is finally starting to notice me. Not Ginny, the sister of Ron, George, Fred, Percy, Bill, or Charlie. My own person. I'm not lonely anymore. The feeling is wonderful, and I'm taking all of your advice into consideration. Thank you, Mum. I love you._

"You're different."

"I'd think that much would be obvious. Can I help you?" Ginny questioned as politely as she could. Her shoulder sunk under the weight of Draco's arm, the gesture catching her attention. Turning to her left, she was captivated by his gaze, locking her in place as though he searched her soul for answers.

"It is a little odd that you're able to go from the lowly pauper Weasley to… this." Draco rose his hand up toward her nose, giving it a small poke. "You're glossy and glamorous. It's a little sickening. Where did this start?"

"My apologies if it offends you, _Lord Malfoy. _You do not have to remain in my presence if your opinions continue to be negative." Ginny felt her lips tighten together at Draco's words. She didn't want him to get to her so deeply, but it stung. He was brutally honest with her, and Ginny wasn't too blind to see that his words held some truth to it. "I finally made some girlfriends… that's all." Her shoulder rolled to push his arm off of her, making her way to the window with Pigwidgeon on hand. Ginny released the owl into the air, turning to find that Draco followed her and nearly cornered her into the window.

"A word of the wise, Weasley. Question why suddenly _now _your new little girlfriends are trying to accept you into their circles. I suppose you haven't heard any of the new compliments about you since your… debut at the Sorting Ceremony." Draco couldn't help but smile when he saw the flustered state that Ginny fell into. "Ah yes. You had the Slytherin House in a frenzy over you, if I may be say so. Even Blaise doesn't quite see you the same any longer. I wouldn't be surprised if that influences some decisions made about you from this point on..."

"Well, so what?" Ginny snapped, her eyes staring at the ground. "They're not trying to make my life a living hell anymore. You don't know what it's like to be me, Malfoy." Her body pressed forward then, trying to push her smaller self against Draco so he would move out of her way. Much to her surprise, he fell back, letting her pass. When Ginny did pass, she felt his hand catch at her wrist, turning her back to gaze at the warning look within his eyes.

"I may not know what it's like to be you, Weasley, but I know what it's like to be used because of your social status. If it's not your brothers that they'll want, it's your sudden wave of attention. By all means, continue to play around with your girls and let them dress you up into this plastic version of yourself. Dance for them like the puppet you are, but the moment you become useless in their eyes, you're right back down to the pauper." Draco released Ginny's wrist as she yanked it away, a scorching look blazing within her eyes at his words.

"You don't speak to me for months, and you come back just to tell me that. Lovely. Thank you, _Malfoy, _and kindly go screw yourself." Ginny stormed away from the Owl Post then, the foreboding feeling of Draco's words echoing through her mind.

"I just would hate to see you hurt, Ginny." Draco shrugged and leaned against the owl cage, watching the fiery redhead run away from the truth of his words. Yet, Draco knew that his words would go unnoticed. For now.

* * *

><p>AN: Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: _Hogsmeade Is Only The Beginning. _[Fourth Year.]**

"Hair, check. Makeup, check. New skirt, tailored to perfection?" Lavender encircled Ginny as the girl stood with her arms separated, a bored expression on her features. A few giggles escaped from the circle of girls who were preparing their newest friend for the trip to Hogsmeade - the first they would go together as a group. "Now, now, Ginny. Do not give me that look. We have to make sure that you're perfect, otherwise your brothers will try to glue you to their sides again."

"Don't you think they will try to glue her to their sides if they see how absolutely gorgeous she is? Every eye will be on Ginny once we're done with her," Parvati offered with a lovely smile, adjusting Ginny's black blouse to fit perfectly with a swish of her wand.

"Don't make me too gorgeous then." Ginny couldn't help but sigh as the circle of girls branched out finally. Her eyes looked into the mirror that Katie Bell held up before her face, noticing that the girls were looking transfixed. What could they have done to her? She saw her hair frame her face in a straightened style, softly brushing past her shoulders and down toward her mid-back. The fitted black top complemented every curve of her body, while the crimson skirt stopped just a few inches above the knee, revealing her shapely legs for the first time to the world. Black sandals strapped her feet and tied around her calves. Brown eyeliner and red lip gloss completed the outfit, and Ginny was beside herself with how absolutely different she looked.

"I told you. It only took a mere change of clothes," Romilda said proudly, wrapping her arm around Ginny's and pulling her from their secluded spot in the courtyard to join with the others. Her eyes sparkledwhen she noticed that Ginny's new appearance was making heads turn in their direction.

The students ate up Ginny's look like it was candy - envy masking over the girls while intrigue masked over the boys. The girls moved toward the group of Gryffindors that stood close together, all falling silent at their arrival and giving their nods of approval. The group was the prettiest that Gryffindor had to offer, and Ginny became one of them with little to no trouble at all.

"Ginny, what in the bloody hell are you wearing?"

Well, almost little to no trouble.

"It's called a skirt, Ron. With the way your eyes wander, I'd thought you seen one before." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest at this, several of the people around her snickering at the notion. All except Hermione, who raised an eyebrow at Ginny's appearance and traced her eyes over the other girls that stood around her.

"I see you've made some interesting friends, Ginny. Good for you," Hermione stated with a tight lip, turning herself around to speak to Harry, the third attachment of the Golden Trio. Her whispers were ignored by the way that he stared at Ginny as well, and her elbow shot into his side.

"Oh, oh yeah. Good for you… erm, Ginny." Harry blushed, which provoked an excited reaction from the girls behind Ginny. He turned around and walked off with a displeased Hermione, but Ron stood his ground.

"You… you can't bloody dress like this! I simply won't allow it! Fred, George!"

"I must say, this is quite a smashing new look that you've acquired, dear Ginbug." George popped behind Ginny in that moment, grasping her around her waist and spinning her in a hug. "It's good to dress in a skirt while it's still warm out. Can't see your knickers, check. Can't see your other frilly things, check." He tickled Ginny then, her friends moving to give the brothers some room with their sister.

"Aw, so this means you're not going to cling to our arms and watch us buy you candy, Gin?" Fred put on a pouty face. "Our little sister is growing up too fast. I'm sad, Ronnykins. Hold me." He fell into Ron's arms, who groaned and dropped him on purpose.

"Alright boys, enough." Ginny laughed in the middle of George's tickling, moving out of their circle a bit. She observed her three older brothers, their eyes storming with an unreadable emotion as they stared at her. _They really can't accept the fact that I'm growing up..__.__ I don't need them anymore, _Ginny thought to herself, and the feeling of independence washed over her like an addiction. She was no longer under their influence. As people watched the Weasley clan together, they admired all four of them independently. Ginny had felt the change completely last summer, and did her best to make sure that she kept herself as pretty as possible. "I'm not going with you. The girls will expect me to shop for knickers and candy and frilly things. Ron, you will let me go in what I am wearing. There is nothing wrong with it." _Thank you, Illithya… _

"Alright, first time little sister is going into Hogsmeade without her big brothers to beat up anyone that teases her!" George clasped his hand onto Ginny's shoulder. "Now, you remember that hex that I taught you where you just aim for their jewels -"

"Yes, George. I know." Ginny laughed then, her hands coming up to pat Ron and Fred on their cheeks. She adored her brothers, truly, even if she had always envied them. Now that she was her own person, she could really appreciate them for what they were to her. _They protected me; they never asked to be more popular than I was…_

"Oi, Loony. This is the Gryffindor circle. The Ravenclaws are over there, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't want you either."

Romilda's voice carried towards the Weasley group, and Ginny turned around to watch the faces of her friends turn up at the sight of the waif-appearing blond. _I know her. That's Luna Lovegood… A lot of people don't like her either, because she's different._

"Forgive me for wandering." Luna's voice was soft, her eyes turned down onto the ground as the girls surrounded her. "I thought I saw a -"

"There are no Crumple-Nosed Sealillies or whatever it is you're normally droning on about." Lavender rolled her eyes. "Shoo, you're bringing down the happy atmosphere."

"The atmosphere is happy?" Luna asked inquisitively, and Romilda scoffed.

"Maybe your search will do better over there, near Hagrid's hut. I'm sure he'll even help you, Loony."

"Hey, it's okay." Ginny stepped away from her brothers then, moving toward her group of friends to interrupt their dismissal. "My name is Ginny, and these are my friends." The look of disgust didn't miss Ginny - she saw Luna's face crinkle up for that splitting moment before it smoothed back into its normal mask of indifference. Ginny took note of the ice-blue of her eyes and the smoothness of her complexion; skin that was paler than hers, and yet, with the blond of her hair, it worked. _Pretty. They could do with her what they did with me…_

_What? Turn her into a plastic version of herself? Make her dance for them as you are?_

Ginny's head snapped upwards at the sudden thought to her mind, looking around her for a bewildered second. Her attention lost on Luna for that moment, Ginny cleared her throat and brought a hand to her head as she pictured platinum blond hair and a sneer of disapproval on a handsome face. She focused on Luna."Why don't you walk with us? We could help you find whatever you're looking for and maybe you'll have a fun time?"

"I know who you are." Luna seemed to smile at Ginny then, looking at her with those intense eyes that seemed to scan the soul. "And I'm afraid I'll have to pass." Turning quickly from Ginny and the group, Luna moved towards Hagrid's hut, as per Romilda's suggestion, giving no more looks towards the group of girls who were taunting her previously.

"What a freak," Romilda said, laughing along with the other girls and patting Ginny on her shoulder. "Don't pay much attention to Loony Lovegood. She doesn't know a boy from a niffler - just a down right mental case. Come on! We're heading to Hogsmeade now!"

Even as the group departed, Ginny couldn't help but keep her eyes locked on Luna's departing form. _She knows who I am and yet she doesn't want to talk to me? _Her thoughts flooded with a terrible feeling. Trying to push it past her mind, Ginny couldn't help but notice that Luna and Draco's shade of hair was almost identical.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Ginny."<p>

The visit to the Three Broomsticks became quite interesting. Lavender and Parvati nearly spat out their butterbeers, their eyes widening at the figure that cloaked Ginny from behind. The youngest Weasley nibbled on a piece of biscuit carefully, her eyes rising up in suspicion at the girl's behavior. Romilda, who was sitting next to Ginny, turned to meet the voice and she, too, gaped at the figure. Ginny found that the girls' reactions to the stranger that greeted her merited some attention, but she couldn't figure out for the life of her why she was suddenly so afraid to turn around. _The voice sounds familiar, that's why… and it__'__s a voice I know - a voice that I hate._

"Why, Lord Blaise, I didn't think you even knew the name of a pauper." Ginny nearly choked on the words, but felt spurred on by confidence. There was no reason to be afraid of the Slytherins anymore because they didn't find it in them to even bother bullying her. For most of her third year, they stood clear of her, including Pansy and Millicent. Ginny didn't speak to Draco, regardless of how much she regretted that fact, thus they had no reason to come after her.

"I know a lot of things, Miss Weasley. Things you would probably be interested in if you say yes to coming to a quick lunch with me in the village."

Ginny then turned to meet the dark-toned face of Blaise, who smiled at her with a heart-stopping appeal. The absolutely ludicrous request forced her to be silent - he wanted to take her to lunch? She could only dumbly stare at him, her eyes narrowing, her mind rapidly becoming skeptical. _What does he want? Does he want to get me alone so he can force me to serve on him hand and foot? I refuse to do anything like that! I'll kill him if he thinks he can bloody well - _A kick underneath the table shot Ginny out of her thoughts, and she jumped in pain. Her eyes turned toward Lavender, who sat directly across from her. The girl motioned wildly with her head. _I can't believe this! She wants me to say yes! But she doesn't understand how absolutely nasty Blaise Zabini can be! _

"What a shame." Blaise sighed when Ginny's silence won out the battle of wits. "I figured perhaps this would have been a wonderful chance to start over, Ginny -"

"She'll go," Romilda said quickly, shoving her hand into Ginny's shoulder and nearly knocking her from her seat.

"_Wha -" _

"She was just so utterly shocked at your offer, Blaise!" Lavender assisted, giggling and helping Ginny to a stand. "We would've believed you would rather talk to the other members of your _Quidditch team_, not spend the afternoon with one of the _Gryffindors._" Lavender stared at Ginny hard then.

"He plays Quidditch?" She asked dumbly, and felt Lavender's foot collide with hers. "Ooh, ooh yes! Ah, you play Quidditch and you want to take me out? As in… as in a date?" Ginny stared into Blaise's eyes, his expression light and playful. Flirtatious. _The day Blaise Zabini flirts with me…_

"I'll wait for you outside the Three Broomsticks. We'll go for a walk if you're not hungry. I'm sure you didn't have the chance to really see Hogsmeade when you were around your brothers. You'll love it." He brought his hand out to toy with a loose strand of crimson hair that fell in Ginny's face. With a small nod, he departed from the table, leaving Ginny there, dumbfounded.

"You're going," Parvati stated, and Ginny whirled around to look at her friends.

"I swear, if he is absolutely horrible to me, I'm coming back to take it out on all of you!"

"He's the Slytherin Keeper, Ginny! The only way you could even top something like that is if Draco Malfoy asked you out himself, and the chances of that happening are none with Pansy Parkinson at his heels." Romilda wrinkled her face in disgust.

"You say this as though you've experienced it before -"

"That doesn't matter!" Romilda cut Ginny off, reaching her wand into Ginny's hair in order to cast a quick glossing charm. "You're going, and he's going to be good to you, Ginny. He likes you - ooh, this is the first time I ever heard of a Slytherin asking out a Gryffindor - especially one like you, so you have to go!" Romilda finished her charms, pushing Ginny on her merry way to the door.

"What do you mean one like me?"

Ginny's question went unanswered as she felt her body being shoved out into the door. She missed the pairs of eyes that followed her every move, one silver set closing in clear disappointment.

* * *

><p>"You may be funny, handsome, and intelligent, but I still don't trust you. You are still a slimy snake." Ginny bit her lip as she and Blaise walked along one of the more secluded paths of Hogsmeade's woods, his arm around her shoulder and her body pressed onto his side. She couldn't believe the two of them ended up in this way - her tension melting away by Blaise's courtesy and his attentiveness to her words. Ginny half-expected to hex away the boy and run back to her friends with stories to tell of his sheer rudeness towards her, but Blaise had surprised her. He told her secrets about Quidditch that she only dreamed of knowing, places that he'd visit that she would love to see, music the two had in common, and other things that Ginny would've never guessed could come from the boy who had once bullied her. <em>Dare I say that I'm having a good time? Maybe I didn't know others, just as they didn't know me.<em>

"I doubt that the school expected such a witty girl to be within its depths." Blaise worked Ginny into a comfortable state, with his smooth words and his gorgeous smile. "You may be beautiful, insightful, and charming, but you're still just a Gryffindor. Should I not trust you as well?"

"Well, it's not the same! I wasn't the one that held you against the wall and called you a low-class pauper -" Ginny huffed even when Blaise began to chuckle at her words, turning around in order to face her fully. His slender fingers closed around Ginny's wrists, bringing her arms up to wrap around his broad shoulders in a lazy motion. His hands rested on the swell of her hips, and she blushed at seeing how close they were.

"You were Weasley's sister. As you can see, we're not the best of chums. I will admit, I didn't know that you were this amazing girl underneath all of… _that." _Blaise stated, bringing his forehead down onto Ginny's so that they could gaze into each other's eyes. "I was wrong."

"All of what? I'm no different now than I was then." Ginny felt uncertainty dancing within her stomach - a gut feeling telling her to be cautious.

"Oh, come on, Ginny. You're entirely different now. You've grown up, I suppose I should say. You used to be awkward and a loner, never wanting to talk to anyone. Now you've seemed to blossom, and what a beautiful flower you've turned out to be." Blaise complimented, finding that he enjoyed making Ginny blush. She was clueless to this type of affection, something that he'd picked up on during her nervous banter at the Three Broomsticks.

"No one knew me, and they didn't want to know me, Blaise." Ginny closed her eyes, leaning back into a tree and bringing her arms down from Blaise's shoulders. "Now, people are just starting to see me for who I am, I suppose." _No way am I going to tell him that a Djinni was involved. That would just look desperate and pathetic. But he likes me, I can tell. _Ginny's eyes opened, seeing the desire mingling in Blaise's, just from his closeness to her. She shuddered. _Yes, I can definitely tell. But, I don't know what to do..._

"Well, I can promise you that I like what I see, Ginny." Blaise's body pinned Ginny's to the tree, his lips descending on hers before she could do anything. Warm and inexperienced was her kiss, and he felt her grow slack underneath his touch. "Shh, don't be alarmed. I like you, and you like me. So this is alright, Ginny." His hands roamed her body, sliding underneath the black material of her blouse and feeling her hot skin against his own. His lips captured hers once more, pressing her back into the tree.

"Blaise, wait -" _I have no idea what to do! _Ginny only heard of the stories from Lavender and Romilda of snogging. She had never been kissed, nor had she ever had the urge to kiss anyone. Her hands came up to shove at Blaise's chest as he touched the underside of her still-tender chest, trying to feel the curves there. "No, hold on!" She broke the kiss. "I've never done this before and it cannot happen this way. I –"

"You what, Ginny? It's okay if you never did it before, I'll teach you all that you need to know." Blaise leaned his face down to kiss along her neck, his hands grapping at her leg to hoist one around his waist. Ginny's hand stopped his pursuit though, slapping him quickly.

"I don't _want _to learn, Blaise. I thought we were just going for a walk!" _I can't let him go far. The Wish.. .it says I have to keep boys from doing this to me. Damn him! _Ginny remembered Illithya's words carefully, knowing she couldn't cross the Djinni's wishes. She fulfilled Ginny's entire request without any hesitation, even if it took a moment to kick it up. Now, she had to keep her end of the bargain until her years at Hogwarts were over. She had three more to go.

"Oi, come on Weasley." Blaise gripped at Ginny's wrists with one hand, pinning them against the tree over her head. "There's no way you were that clueless. No one dresses like this for attention, and then backs off when they get the attention they wanted. I'm giving you what you want, so play nice." He pressed into her more, trapping her body there while his hand yanked at her skirt. Smoothly he slid his fingers along her outer thigh, his knee squeezing in between her knees to part her legs.

"No, Blaise you don't understand!" _I'm not doing this for attention. I'm – _Ginny found that she was stuck, even in her own mind. He touched her in places that no other had, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Here she was, stuck in the woods with no one around to keep Blaise from doing what he wanted with her; her wrists were stuck over her head so she couldn't reach her wand, and she was going to be sick. All that she wished for, Blaise would ruin in one horrid snogging session.

_You have the Slytherin House in a frenzy over you. _And now she was remembering Draco's words. _Even Blaise doesn't quite see you the same any longer. I wouldn't be surprised if that influences some decisions made about you from this point on…_

_This isn't what I want! _

_"Confringo!" _The loud snap erupted behind Blaise, his back catching flame. Much to Ginny's surprise, the Slytherin released her and yelped in pain, dropping to the ground in order to roll out the flames that threatened to spread over his entire body.

Ginny's body fell onto the ground as well, her back stinging with the pain of being pressed against the tree bark. Quickly she thrusted her crumpled blouse down, yanked out her wand, and pointed it towards Blaise with as much hatred as she could gather. It spread through her body like poison, sending a tingle through her wand arm as she placed her all into the most devastating Bat-Bogey Hex she had ever produced. As Blaise howled in pain, Ginny turned to run as quickly as she ever had, tears rolling down her cheeks at her stupidity and the situation. It wasn't until she crossed the threshold of the woods and Hogwarts' grounds that she collided into a smaller body, toppling them both onto the ground.

"Well, that wasn't nice." Luna's voice drifted into the air, the stunned girls lying on the ground. "Many apologies for being in your way… oh. Ginny Weasley. I suppose I should apologize twice to make sure your friends do not hex me - Why are you crying?" Luna couldn't finish, for Ginny's hands were around her and she was sobbing into her chest with so much emotion it touched her heart. "There, there. There's no need to be frightened, dear. Was it your friends? Did they hurt your feelings? Come, we'll go to the Hospital Wing and fix you up. Why are your clothes in such disarray?"

"I'm s-sorry, Luna. I'm just so b-bloody stupid." Ginny cried, allowing the smaller girl to lift her to a stand. Leaning her head into Luna's shoulder, Ginny walked with her toward the Hospital Wing, her emotions still chaotic as the shock welled off of her system. "I hate them all; I was so stupid."

"It's alright, Ginny. I have you now. Everything will be alright." Luna said in a soothing voice, calming Ginny and holding her steady. "You are not stupid; naivety is something that we all fall victim to, once. I'll help you; I'll be your friend now."

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell, mate. I was willing to share her, you know." Blaise brushed the ashes off his shirt, pointing his wand down toward the ruined spots and charming them better. His eyes flashed as he frowned at Draco, who leaned against one of the trees with his wand twisting menacingly between his pale fingers. Blaise kept his words careful - one did not tick off Draco Malfoy without suffering immense consequences. He obviously did something to offend one of his supposed best mates in the whole school, and that wasn't a good thing. "I had no idea you wanted Weasley for yourself."<p>

"That's more disgusting than you know, Zabini." Draco's voice was cold, the wand pointing toward Blaise once more as he sat on the ground. Draco walked to the cowering boy then, crouching in front of Blaise while pointing the wand directly at his temple. "I'll only say this to you once, because I am aware of how clever you are, Zabini. Ginny Weasley is not a toy that you can pass around when you've broken her."

"Oh c-come on, mate… I wasn't going to b-break her." Blaise licked his lips nervously, glancing between Draco's dangerous eyes and the wand at his temple. "Just a little fun, no? She's p-practically asking for it; j-just look at her!"

"I've seen Weasley. I know all there is to know about her." Draco stated, his eyes narrowing at Blaise's face. "Cowards like you have no business putting their hands on her. _Crucio!"_

_**A/N: **My allergies have been kicking my ass, but much thanks to cherryredxx for beta-ing this little Gem for me! I hope that you all are enjoying and I assure you that I'm keeping this story as updated as I possibly can. If you're reading Played It To The Beat as well, that one is almost finished. ;) Enjoy!  
><em>


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_Poor Ginny. My imagination really took off with this one. There's a little forceful snogging, but nothing extreme. Special thanks to cherryredxx for beta-ing my wild[and long] creations. She has the patience of a saint. Now, on to the jump!

_**Chapter 5**: I Only Wanted To Forget His Tongue.[Fifth Year.]_

_Hello Ginny!_

_I truly hope that your summer has been excellent. We missed you at Hogwarts. Some of the girls felt like you were avoiding us, but I managed to quell their fears. I remember how hard it was for my own fourth year, and I told them that you were merely busy with studying and hanging out with Blaise. It was an acceptable answer, and you should thank me for the girls not hating you. _

_We saw that you spent quite a lot of time with Loony Lovegood, however. Now, I don't personally hate the girl. That's Lavender. However, I do understand where she is coming from when she says that you shouldn't befriend someone who is so utterly weird. Maybe if Loony didn't possess such unsatisfactory traits, she could hang in our circle as well. I even managed to convince the girls that maybe you're trying to give her tips. You are charismatic, gorgeous, friendly, and vibrant, Ginny. If she learned a thing or two from you, I think the girls would be willing to overlook it. Just don't let her bring you down._

_Do ask your mother for more of her charms, if you don't mind. We did the curl look last year, and this upcoming year, we're thinking of doing a straight chic cut that is all of the rage in London. Those nasty Slytherin girls are already trying to copy our curl style ever since you've introduced the look, and we need to beat them at their own game by introducing something fresh. I just know that you're going to come back to school as beautiful as ever, Ginny, so don't forget to share the secrets! We have oodles of things to show you as well._

_Speaking of Blaise, I heard that he was still in St. Mungo's. Oh, Ginny, I know you've gone to visit him. Poor thing - everyone knows that once your brothers found out that you were dating him, he had no chance. Really, Ginny, you should tell them to butt out. No one will want to date you if they think that the Weasley boys are going to shove in the relationship. You're your own person, you know, and you're free to date anyone you like._

_Owl me back when you can. Can't wait to see you in school!_

_Love,_

_Romilda_

* * *

><p>Ginny's eyes scanned over the letter repeatedly, the owl at her side pecking slightly at Ginny's red locks for its deserved treat. Her mouth gaped at the news, though her mind could not seem to put two and two together fast enough. <em>Blaise is in the hospital. That's good, but if people find out what he's done… what my brothers did to him… <em>She was aware that Romilda had a point. It would've been counter-productive for people to start avoiding Ginny because of the news of Blaise's hospitalization. It had been enough for her to merely escape Blaise and hex him to oblivion, but this?

"Ron! Fred! George!" Ginny shot up from her bed at the Burrow, bounding out of her room and down the stairs towards the living room in a hot search for her brothers. Hogwarts was an extensive rumor generator, and she didn't want for their over-protectiveness to ruin what she had finally started to build with the help of her Djinni. The house was practically empty, a rarity for the Weasley household. She heard murmurs and laughs from the backyard, and darted out there in time to catch her brothers in the middle of a Quidditch game of fun. "Get down here, this instant!"

"Oi, we did something to make Gin-bug angry," Fred noted as the other two swooped down from their positions in the air, floating around Ginny's head on their broomsticks.

"She's downright raging, I'd say. What did we do this time?" George questioned, his eyes gazing at the reddened expression of Ginny's angry features.

"What is this that I hear about Blaise Zabini being put in St. Mungo's because of you three?" Ginny's arms crossed over her chest. Ron released a snort, which infuriated her even more.

"Zabini is in St. Mungo's? Well, I say good for him. He deserves more than -"

"This isn't funny, Ron! I don't need the three of you to beat the snot out of every guy that decides to look in my direction!" Ginny pressed her hand into Ron's chest, causing his broom to fly waywardly into the air. He stumbled off of it and onto the ground, an incredible expression of surprise crossing his face. Ginny pressed on though, ignoring the protests that were starting to flood from the twins' mouths. "Alright, so I'll admit that Blaise was out of hand when he tried to force himself onto me -"

"He did _what!" _Both Fred and George screamed, but Ginny continued.

"That doesn't mean that you're free to completely tear into his hide. Do you know what people would think if they knew that you three were violent because of me?"

"The same as when they thought you would hex their eyes off whenever they asked you about us, Gin?" George countered, his eyes narrowed in a dangerous glow of anger. The brothers mounted off of their brooms and stood around her in a circle, looking more pureblooded and powerful than ever before.

"You _knew _that they were spreading those rumors!" Ginny cried out in anger, not wanting to let her older brothers intimidate her. "None of you ever did a thing about it then, so don't decide suddenly that you care about my well-being when I'm finally starting to not need you anymore." Her words stunned them into silence, she could tell. Ginny wanted to make her point come across, and her feelings about Ron, Fred, and George's behavior was confirmed with the way they stared at her now. She didn't need them anymore, and they couldn't take the idea of that.

"I'll tell you one thing, Ginny," Ron said, voice low despite the cross of red that illuminated his freckled face. "If we would've known that Zabini tried to force himself on you, he wouldn't have been sent to St. Mungo's. He would be dead."

"Stay out of my business. All of you." Ginny demanded, her heart pounding fast at Ron's words. She knew that was a promise, knew that they were trying to be assertive now that they were aware of the type of attention she was receiving. _I cannot let them shadow me. Never again will I just be the little sister of the Weasley boys. I can take care of myself, _Ginny thought fiercely as she reached her arms out to shove past Fred and George, storming towards the Burrow.

* * *

><p>"Ginny, we're sorry!"<p>

"Oh, Ginny. You know you can't stay mad at us forever. We're your best friends."

"Ginny, at least talk to us."

Lavender, Parvati, and Romilda stuck their pouty faces at Ginny's, keeping her from exiting her current position in the library peacefully. They had cornered her in the middle of her assisting the younger years with their spellwork and hexes, finding the popular redhead that, since the start of the Hogwarts term, avoided them like the plague, but talked to everyone else. It hadn't been hard to track and corner Ginny; people seemed to love her more as time went by and knew her every move. The girls understood that they had to do something fast to win her favor or be swept away by the awe of the crowd.

"Yes, because my _best friends_ would set me up with a perverted jerk like Blaise Zabini." Ginny obviously wasn't buying it. Tucking back the straight cut of crimson that hung around her face like a silky curtain, she leaned onto one hip and glowered at the begging girls in front of her. _I won't let them fool me again, _she thought fiercely to herself, her distrust of them radiating through her every move. Lavender surprised her by grasping onto her arm.

"It's not as though we _knew _Blaise was a perverted jerk! Who could really blame him, though? You're gorgeous - he obviously went mad with love in your presence," She explained, leaning into Ginny's side.

"_Lavender._ A little tact, please?" Parvati grasped onto Ginny's other arm, making it hard for the younger girl to hold on to her books. Romilda took them as Parvati led Ginny forward from the library into the corridor, the crowds of students parting ways for the Gryffindors to stalk through. "We're sorry, Ginny. We should have known that slimy Slytherins were going to be nothing but absolute horn-dogs. I, for one, was glad to hear that your brothers took care of Zabini. Now, the boy that we have in mind for you is one of our very own, and he will help you forget about that nasty Slytherin -"

"After that last fiasco, you should be lucky I'm allowing you to hold onto my arm." Ginny yanked her arm away from Parvati and Lavender then, reaching out to take her books from a sympathetic Romilda and hug them close to her chest. "Now you wish to find me another boy who is possibly _worse _than Zabini could ever be - "

"Ginny, will you just listen to us?" Lavender directed Ginny around the corner. "You know Harry Potter, yes? The one who is always hanging around your dashing brother, Ron? Well, Ronnykins has told me that he fancies you - and trust me Ginny; Harry is a pure _gentleman."_

_"What?" _Both Ginny and Romilda shrieked, and they glanced at each other in confusion. Romilda blushed, stumbling over her composure before gathering it and shooting a hard glance at Lavender.

"What, Romilda? You told me yourself that Harry was nothing but respectful to you. I think he would be an excellent match for Ginny," Parvati stated, and Romilda crossed her arms.

"I do _not _think that!" Romilda nearly squealed, her face turning red from fury. "We didn't discuss this. We said that we would try to talk her into flirting with Dean Thomas. You _know _how I feel about Harry -"

Ginny stopped completely listening as the group rounding the corner. Her eyes landed on the crowd of emerald green ties and dark robes - the people leaning close to each other with amused expressions. She latched her gaze onto platinum blond hair and a handsome face, silvery eyes gazing down into the ice-blue eyes of another silvery blond. The sight infuriated Ginny for one moment, much to her misunderstanding. _Parvati's right. Slytherins are nothing but perverted jerks - _Her thought stopped itself when she noticed the girl was turning around, a wistful frown on her ethereal features. Suddenly, both Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood appeared more similar than ever. _What is Luna doing talking to Draco? She was a Ravenclaw the last time I checked. _Before Ginny knew it, she was walking toward the crowd of Slytherins, who were turning to check her out.

" - don't understand what they plan for her, do you?" Draco's voice was low, his back turned to Ginny as he whispered fiercely towards Luna, who swayed slightly from side to side, her eyes closing and her head shaking slowly. "Of course you don't. As much as you hang around her like some kind of fairy godmother, you have no idea what those harpies will place her with next -"

"I'm quite sure it will be a boy, Draco." Luna's own whisper sounded exhausted. "I can't continue to babysit her if you refuse to just assert yourself. If you dislike the company she keeps, then stop her yourself."

"There's something wrong here, Luna. You know this. You've confirmed this for me. She won't know it yet until she fully sees that -" Draco's words were cut off then, his form stiffening. Though Ginny couldn't see his expression, she knew that whatever feelings that were crossing Draco Malfoy's face were intense due to the luminescent way that Luna's eyes appeared when they landed on him. They were mystified, magical, as though the two were exchanging a power in between the understanding.

"Dear cousin, I know. I can intercept the current plan in order to ensure she's safe. We must allow for this to - Oh. Hello, Ginny." Luna's eyes dulled then, back to her normal level of icy blues. They landed on Ginny, a small smile crossing her face. "I thought you were in the library. Was your tutoring session interrupted by Sea-Diving Knorksons? They tend to come to land sometimes and search for dark, wide places to nestle in. The library reminds me of that."

Yet, Ginny barely heard a word that Luna said. She stiffened herself for whatever Draco might've had to say to her. The last time they spoke face to face, she told him to kindly screw himself and there hadn't been any real interaction since. Longing gazes, heated glares, amused smirks, and witty insults were all that passed between the popular pair, and Hogwarts enjoyed every minute of the rivalry between the specific Gryffindor Lion and Slytherin Snake. Ginny knew that she wished for different, however. Draco Malfoy had and would always be the first friend she ever made - the first person to ever see her for herself and enjoy it. The first person who taught her that she was more than just Weasley's sister.

"My apologies. I'm not screwing myself this time. Perhaps I should go change that." Draco's retort wasn't as witty as Ginny expected, but his eyes told a different tale. He gave Luna a quick look and turned to join the other Slytherins preparing to walk to the next class, his robes billowing away from his tall silhouette.

"You two are cousins." That was all Ginny could find herself saying to Luna at that moment. For some reason, she felt relief flood through her form at that thought. _So, he wasn't trying to flirt with her. Why does that make me happy? _

"Perhaps we should find something better to talk about. How long left do you have on your free period, Ginny?" Luna turned to walk down the hall. "You should come to the Ravenclaw Common Room with me. The group is having a dueling session and I'd like for you to actually meet others that match you in ferocity."

"Luna…" Ginny knew she wanted to ask. She wanted to know what was between Luna and Draco that she was excluded from.

"Or, you could stay and allow for your friends to try and place you with Harry Potter. Though, I'm not too sure how Romilda Vane would feel about that. The whole school knows that she is in love with him." Luna continued to speak as though Ginny did not say a word, and she glanced back over her shoulder after giving her ultimatum.

"Yeah. Let's go." Ginny turned to look over her shoulder as well; Parvati was currently trying to cool down the heated argument in between Romilda and Lavender, wands pointed at each other's faces and threats filling the corridor. Ginny reached out to take Luna's arm then, moving quickly away from the scene and the unwanted attention. _I will ask, though. I will find out what Luna and Draco are up to, even if it kills me!_

* * *

><p>"Ginny, Michael Corner. Michael, Ginny Weasley." Luna stood in between the poised duelists within her makeshift podium inside the Ravenclaw Common Room.<p>

The bookshelves that were usually in between the comfortable couches and the fireplace were pushed back against the walls, providing ample room for the practices of the other participants in the Duelist Club's meeting. Everyone was carefully watching the center pair, however, ignoring their own duels to watch the treat before them. Michael Corner had the reputation for being the Duelist Club's best practiced duelist, his skill inspiring others to learn to become greater. Ginny Weasley's hexes were the most feared in the school, the ferocity of her spellwork inspiring others to stay clear of her temper and admire her prowess as a witch.

"I know who she is, Luna." Michael smiled charmingly at Ginny, offering her the first customary bow. His wand arm was raised in the air, the pearly whites of his teeth shining behind his aloof grin at Ginny. His dark hair was soft around his face, his friendly eyes eyeing Ginny with clear appreciation. "I don't think there's a soul in Hogwarts that doesn't."

"The same could be said for you, Michael." Ginny commented back, her body refusing to curtsey to her opponent. She knew that Michael's reputation was also supplemented by the fact that he was truly a kind soul. Girls admired how willing he was to help others with their spellwork, how the wizard was as handsome as he was intelligent. He was the kind of guy that most girls would not mind taking home to their mother, the kind of guy that provided the courtship that only happened in fairy tales. And with the way he was watching Ginny, she knew that he wanted to do just that with her. She tried to shake the feeling of silver eyes staring at her in disappointment, her mind's eye threatening to cloud over with insecurity.

_Stop it. Michael is not Blaise, and he will never be. _"On Luna's mark?" Ginny asked.

"I won't be easy on you, Ginny. I've heard of your talent." Michael didn't wait for the mark, using his intellect to send a petrifying hex specifically towards Ginny's wand arm. "I don't play fair against equal rivals."

"Why, you sneaky little devil." Ginny felt her arm stiffening as the spell grazed against her wrist, twisting her body out of the way while sending an admirable sneer in Michael's direction. "I'll teach you how to play nice."

Luna smiled as the duel commenced between the two, the clear chemistry building in the room as much as their spells. _Dear cousin. I do think that the plan has been successfully intercepted._

* * *

><p>Michael's hands drifted down toward Ginny's waist, keeping her steady as he tugged her closer to him and melted his lips against her own. Within their little corner of the library, he moved to try and once again indulge in the sweetness that was the tempting Ginny Weasley, feeling the flush heat of her body radiating against his own solid form. Her hands roamed in the softness of his dark locks, and he responded by rubbing into the small of her back. Their tongues did a tentative dance, searching softly for a mutual level of pleasure and balance as their warmth spiked. Michael groaned into the kiss of his girlfriend of three months, loving the feeling of her. He also dreaded the moment that was inevitable when he gave in to the temptation; the moment where she'd start to pull back.<p>

"Oh, Michael…" Ginny's voice was breathless. She could feel him dipping her backwards slightly, her chin tilting upwards to allow him access to her neck, charmed free of freckles. She felt his tongue slide over her skin, eliciting such feelings inside of her. "You know, we can't…" Ever since she agreed to be with Michael, he slowly introduced her to these feelings. Ginny came to find that this was a level of desire she had never truly experienced, though she had indeed been curious. Michael was courteous to her, not letting her level of inexperience stop him from showing how much he did want her in gentle ways. This was what separated him from Blaise, if by only a thread; Ginny knew that Michael wanted her and he was willing to wait.

"There, there, sweet Ginny - my little drug. I know that you said we must wait, but you're the one for me." Michael crooned sweetly into her neck, his hands reaching behind her vest and blouse, slipping towards her bra strap. "I knew it since the moment you first talked to me that I would love you, and I do. So much, Gin…"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt Michael fiddle with her clothes. _You must keep your purity for the remainder of your years at Hogwarts. _Every time Michael placed her in this position, the thoughts would forcefully enter her mind as though projected by another force. _Pure, sweet Ginevra. You're a good girl, even if temptation strikes at you to act differently. _

_Dance for them like the puppet you are. _

"Michael, if you love me, you'll understand why I want to wait." Ginny had been so lost in thought, she didn't notice that her bra had come loose and he was slipping her shirt up, and up, and up. When the air of the library brushed her chest, Ginny pressed her hands into Michael's chest to shove him back. _So long as you never take back your word to me. _The Djinni had done everything she promised to Ginny and more, and her words were very precise. Ginny had to remain a virgin during her years in Hogwarts, for whatever Illithya's plans were, lest she suffered her wrath. _I don't want to find out what that is yet. _"Michael, get off of me!"

"What?" Michael's eyes were clouded with lust and confusion, his breathing coming out just as harshly as Ginny's. "You do understand that Lovegood introduced you to me so you would find a proper gentleman instead of some fan-boy, right Ginny? I didn't expect that I would fall in love with you, however." Michael's face tilted as he reached up to try and cup Ginny's chin gently with his slender fingers. "I've groomed you for this, Ginny. For me, perfectly. It will be wonderful if you would just stop being afraid. You are the girl for me, I know this."

"If you know that, then why won't you _wait?" _Ginny gathered her clothes together in a huff, buttoning back her blouse and re-arranging her bra back into its proper place. "I don't want to give myself to you against some bookshelf in the school library like a little slag. That's not me. If you loved me, you wouldn't want me to do anything like that, either. I won't have this conversation with you every time you try to go too far, Michael. I'm going to my dorm." Ginny huffed, and she tried to ignore Michael's obvious groan.

"I swore that you were different than your bitchy friends, but I suppose I was wrong." Michael's face suddenly turned dark, a look of hatred unlike anything Ginny ever saw shrouded his gaze upon her. He slammed his hands onto the side of her head, toppling books over onto the ground and trapping her in front of him. He almost appeared _cursed, _his dark eyes storming, his entire form menacing. Ginny was horrifically reminded of just how well a duelist Michael Corner was in that moment, and just how much danger she could be in. "You meet a wonderful guy, and you think that you're too good for him - that's all that is! That's the thing about you _popular _harpies - you have your nose in the air and you think you're above the Earth when you're truly lower and uglier than anything I've ever seen."

Silence formed in between the two at the moment, nothing but panting escaping their lips as Ginny's eyes widened in horror. She tightened her hand around her wand, watching Michael's face contort in anger and then confusion. His eyes blinked rapidly as though he were befuddled by something, and he stared at Ginny in utter horror.

"I - I didn't mean that, Ginny. I swear, I -"

"Let go of me, Michael! Stay away from me!" Ginny screeched, shooting her wand out at that moment and sending Michael's body crashing into the opposite bookcase. Magically, it was rooted in place, but it didn't stop the books from toppling on top of Michael's head and rendering him unconscious. Shivering, Ginny hugged her books to herself and quickly rushed away from the scene, blinking back the tears that started to shine within her eyes.

"_Hm. _That's a miscalculation." The waif-like silhouette of Luna appeared from behind the nearest bookshelf then, her head tilting dreamingly towards the side. Her eyes latched on to the fallen form of Michael underneath the books, her fingers rubbing against her chin. A taller, dark-clad form arrived next to her, silver eyes watching the male as well.

"I thought you said he'd keep her distracted long enough, Luna. Mind explaining to me why Ginny hexed Michael Corner just now? Wait; don't explain that. We both saw what we saw." Draco leaned against the bookshelf then, his legs crossing at the ankle as he watched the poor boy struggle with consciousness. _I won't hex him myself. Not yet, at least. _"I still cannot believe you managed to talk me into not cursing his eyes out for laying a finger on her."

"Michael has never acted in that way before. Did you not catch the look in his eyes, dear cousin?" Luna leaned over Michael then, moving some of the books softly in order to reveal his eyes. "It was almost as though he was - "

"Yes, I noticed as well - like he was under a spell. Hm, indeed." Draco allowed for Luna to remove the books from Michael's form, pulling his wand out from his school robes. "Nevertheless, I certainly cannot allow for him to dare think he could talk to Weasley in the manner that he did."

"Draco, perhaps you should find Ginny instead. She's quite upset." Luna saw the movement of her cousin's wand, and knew that Michael had suffered enough. "I'll study Michael a little more, to find out what went wrong. Maybe if you could swallow your pride just a bit, you may get farther than mere snags at each other."

"I don't see why I have to be the one to swallow _my _pride," Draco started, but turned anyway to walk out of the library. He knew that he would go to Ginny because she was at her most vulnerable. Something had transpired between Ginny and Michael, something supernatural and out of the ordinary for her. _Then again, her entire ordeal is out of the ordinary. We will find out what you've been up to, Ginny Weasley. _Draco thought to himself, seeing the laughing girl of twelve years old in his mind once more. Whatever had changed her from that, he would undo.

* * *

><p>Ginny curled up by the log in front of the lake, the moonlight shining ahead and reflecting long enough upon its surface to allow her to catch glimpses of the Giant Squid's play. She'd throw sticks towards it for it to catch and throw back at her, utterly depressed at how the evening turned out. "This isn't how it's supposed to be," Ginny said out loud, tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew that her frustration about how boys were treating her was reaching a boiling point, and she started to loathe the way they approached her. Gentlemanly, perverted, they were all the same. They desired her, so strongly, and they couldn't have her in the way they wanted. Michael was the first to ever talk to her in such a way.<p>

"It doesn't mean that he's telling the truth. I don't think I'm better than anyone else." Ginny remembered all too well what it was like to be the most hated thing at Hogwarts, and she knew now, more than ever, that she never wanted to cross Illithya's word. _Maybe that was only a taste of what I'll get if I don't keep my word. I need to stop having close calls. _Ginny sniffled a little, wiping her nose with the back of her hand to try and keep it together. She hadn't had a good cry in a while, she realized, not since Blaise attacked her.

"You are more likely to get hurt if you continue to throw yourself to the public." Draco's form shadowed Ginny, standing behind her crouched position in the log. His eyes stared at her downcast head, reaching his own fingers out to press through the straightened locks of her blood-red hair. "I could have told you how the male populace of Hogwarts acted if you had just talked to me over the months. It would've spared you a lot of trouble."

"Don't give me that shite, Malfoy," Ginny spat, wiping frustratingly at her eyes and yanking her head away from his petting. _I'm glad he's here, nevertheless. _She couldn't admit that to him, she just couldn't. Her heart began to throb in her chest again - it seemed like whenever she needed a moment alone in her distress, Draco would always answer the call with his sardonic "I'm-Giving-You-Sage-Advice" tone. "One incident with a boy doesn't mean that I'm throwing myself to the public."

"Two," Draco stated, and Ginny's blush caught his attention.

"You don't know anything about that."

"Oh, I do know, Ginny," Draco continued, his hands laying across his stomach and lacing the fingers together as he sat next to her and tilted his head to look at the sky. "You've had two incidents in where boys suddenly attacked you. Everyone knows that Blaise Zabini is in the hospital, and everyone thinks your brothers have done it. For good reason, mind you, but nevertheless, it is not as though Blaise is the only one to blame." His eyes reflected in the moonlight. "If you're willing to lay your basket of goodies on display, the wolves will come howling, little Red."

"Well, those wolves could very well go shove it." Ginny growled, bringing her knees up to wrap her arms around them. _I hate being lectured by Draco, I just do. Why does he think he's responsible for me? _Ginny turned toward Draco then, her eyes studying him for a moment. "You said people _think _that my brothers sent Blaise Zabini to the hospital. You should think that too, but… you don't, do you? You know who really attacked Blaise that day?"

"You know." Draco knew that he wasn't going to answer that question. "Michael Corner is actually a somewhat decent young lad. I would hate to see what happened to Zabini happen to him just because you've somehow become inexplicably desirable, Ginny." Draco's voice was casual. Too casual.

"You did it, didn't you?" Ginny's voice began to rise as she came to a stand. "You were the one that attacked Blaise. I _heard _a boy's voice, I heard it use Confringo. That was you, wasn't it, Draco?" Ginny leaned over Draco then, her eyes smoldering with emotion. "What are you doing? Are you stalking me? Why does it bother you so much that people actually like me now? You're trying so hard to make sure that I don't have friends or anything, trying to turn me against others like Lavender! What is with your sudden obsession with me?"

"Are you stupid?" Draco sneered then, his position turning lazy as a drawl added to his taunting manner now. "Why would I be obsessed with you? I just know that when an annoying, little _pauper_ turns to the most popular little witch in this forsaken school, something must be at stake here. You used to hate everyone that despised you, and now you smile and gloat along with them. Tell me; why would I stalk someone as fake as you are?"

"Because you must want me as well." Ginny didn't want Draco to get the best of her, but he was dangerously close to figuring everything out. _I'll die if he knew how desperate I was. I'll absolutely die. I will never tell Draco what I had to do to get this far, to blossom into my true self. _Her hands placed on her hips, Ginny returned back Draco's sneer, although nearly not as well practiced. "Michael and Blaise couldn't keep their hands off me, and you just don't want to admit to me that you want me just as much as they did. Perhaps even more. That's why you're watching my every move, isn't it? You haven't tried to talk to me at all since the owl post, and now you think you can waltz in here and take out every guy that even thinks to look at me -"

"Get the bloody hell over yourself, Weasley." Draco stormed toward Ginny's face then, his amused expression gone. His eyes blazed with fury, and Ginny took a quick step back in surprise. "You're disgusting, absolutely disgusting. You think to ever compare me to Zabini and Corner? I'll hex your lips shut. If you're too bloody thick to realize that you're in a precarious position right now, to see that you're on the edge of a cliff and you're one step away from diving off it, then far be it from me to try and save you any longer." Draco turned from Ginny then, his pride completely swallowing up any attempt at being reasonable. He half-expected for Ginny to burst into tears once more. _That will show her. _Yet, he heard her storming behind him and yelling with just as much fury as he had shown her.

"Some friend you are! I hate you, Malfoy! Never talk to me again!" Ginny paused from following Draco then, her chest heaving with emotion. She couldn't cry, not over this. Draco told her that she was in danger, that he was trying to save her, yet Ginny couldn't see what he meant. _I thought everything was under control. He's just obsessed. He's been trying to save me since I was twelve years old, and he's upset that he can't do it any longer. He's just like my brothers. _But it pained Ginny to think of these things. She didn't want this type of relationship with Draco - the only one who saw her before anyone else did. She couldn't stand to know that they were driven farther and farther apart the more the Djinni's wish came true for her. When he walked to the castle, Ginny's chin lifted into the air.

"I can't even let you stop me, Draco. I won't. No matter what you're doing, I'll make sure to stop you." Ginny wouldn't allow herself to be fake. She would prove that she wasn't false to the people around her. She was genuine and people's desires for her were just as true as her own attempt of being true to others. Illithya merely helped her blossom; Ginny wouldn't accept it any other way. It had to start with getting the male population under control, to prove that she had more control over her rapidly developing popularity than anything else.

_Who was it that Lavender recommended for me again? Harry Potter. That's right. I'll start with him, and I'll prove to Draco that nothing is at risk. I'm not in danger. I'm completely in control._

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><p>AN: Much thanks for all of the reviews this story has gotten! I hope to continue to make it enjoyable for you all. Stay tuned.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **One of the reviewers asked me what was the relationship between Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood within the story, and I'm going to be a good authoress and answer. . .at the end of this chapter. So if you want to know, read it and the answer will be provided at the bottom! If you have any more questions, do not be afraid to leave them in your reviews, and I will answer them.

Also, thank you all so much for reading and enjoying the story. I'm so happy to see many of you that are watching and following the updates, and I'm cranking them out as much as I can. Now, onto the jump!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: <strong>_I Knew Things Were Too Good To Be True._ [Sixth Year.]

Harry Potter was, for better or worse, the perfect gentleman. Ginny recalled speaking to Harry during the last few months of the term, the way the Gryffindors around him parted and how he lit up like a kid in Yule when she arrived. She recalled looking over his appearance, how boyishly handsome Harry honestly was with his messy raven-black locks, his reflective, hazel-green eyes, and his tall and sinewy form with his hands tucked into his pockets. The way he gazed upon her as they spoke was so innocent, so honestly pure with admiration that Ginny nearly faltered in her plan to use Harry as an anchor to her spiraling popularity. Harry was _good,_ Lavender and Parvati had been completely correct.

"Hello, Ginny," Harry said to her, and Ginny knew that he was exactly what she was looking for. Someone like Harry couldn't turn against her; couldn't become so utterly cold that she wouldn't recognize him. Goodness radiated off of Harry Potter like a beacon of light, purity all spun within the lanky boy-turning-man.

"I could fall in love with you," Ginny said suddenly, and blushed furiously as the words slipped out of her mouth. She closed her hands around them, and found that her heart pounded deeply within her chest whenever Harry laughed.

That was before the term ended. Ginny found out why Harry was so popular; he deserved it. Orphaned from an infant due to the horrific murders of his parents, sent to live with his terrible Muggle family because he had nowhere else to go, cut off from the Wizarding World until Hogwarts managed to find him and introduce him to his true, magical self, Harry suffered what many could not take while still maintaining an innocence that was not corrupted due to circumstances. Ginny found that the more she was in Harry's company, the brighter things seemed to become. Even her brothers smiled at Ginny more, the Hogwarts population ate up their relationship like gossip candy, and the Slytherins did not bother her once for those few, remaining months.

Everything was bright, however, until the last day of term when Romilda Vane, Ginny's supposed best friend, stormed up to the lovely couple in the train platform and slapped Harry Potter directly across his face.

"Flutter around the school with your haughty tart all you like, _Potter. _Thank you for turning me into the laughing stock of the entire school!" Romilda's eyes were bright with anger, and watering with tears, as well. Harry dumbly stared towards Romilda for a moment, while her hand rose up for another slap.

"Romilda, what in the world are you doing!" Ginny demanded, capturing the entire platform's attention as she reached out to intercept the slap. Her head flung to the side from the force of the blow. Romilda grasped onto Ginny's collar before the girl could retaliate, however, and placed her wand against Ginny's temple.

"I _made _you, and I can _destroy _you, pauper," Romilda whispered viciously to Ginny - before pushing her back onto the platform and straightening out her clothes. "I won't let you make a fool of me, Potter. You're going to regret ever hurting me." Proudly, Romilda turned on her heel and stormed away from the couple.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Lavender rose from her seat to stand next to Ginny, observing her face as several others gathered around the two. The train buzzed with the news of what transpired circling through the masses.

When Ginny's eyes landed on Harry, however, she caught something that she didn't think she ever would have seen, had she not given him her attention. She caught a look of longing cross Harry's pained face.

* * *

><p>Over the summer, Harry was unnaturally distant toward Ginny. He came to the Burrow, smiled at her in greeting, and went directly to speak with the other members of the Trio. She longed to be a part of their little circle, Hermione present or not, for without the company of her friends' letters, she felt the numb-aching loneliness start to creep in again. It gave her plenty of time to think about Harry's change of attitude toward her, and Romilda's sudden dislike of Ginny.<p>

_If you're too bloody thick to realize that you're in a precarious position right now, to see that you're on the edge of a cliff and you're one step away from diving off it, then far be it from me to try and save you any longer. _

_I thought he meant the danger came from the boys. _Ginny didn't want to admit that Draco could have been right. Harry was supposed to be the part of the plan that would end that danger for her. The wish fulfilled all of Ginny's hopes and more, and at Hogwarts, no one could resist her. Though, Draco seemed to be able to do so, which was something Ginny could not explain to herself. Romilda had broken from the wish's spell as well and wanted to destroy her; something Illithya promised couldn't happen underneath her influence. Now, Harry no longer treated her with the doting affection of a boyfriend. Ginny did not want to admit that whatever was happening was coming at her with full force, but stubbornness could only last for so long.

_I'll have to find that lamp again. Something is going wrong with the wish, that's all. I only have one more year after this one. Why can't it just last? _

The return to Hogwarts was unnaturally lonely as well. She expected Harry to walk with her through the Hogwarts Express, to sit with her in their own, private room, and to give her the attention she'd starved for over the summer from the sweet gentleman. He had been perfect, just as Parvati said. Too perfect, and Ginny missed him. Ginny walked the corridors to the train, trying to prepare herself for facing Ron and Hermione during her quest of looking for her boyfriend. Little did she know that it would be Hermione who would find her, wearing a small smile on her face.

"Now, Ginny." Hermione's voice came out gentle, highly unnatural for the seventh year. "Shouldn't you return back to your compartment and do your nails with your little friends? Be a dear and run along now."

Ignoring the bite at her, Ginny lifted her eyes and stared directly into Hermione's eyes. "Where's Harry?"

"Ginny, I _really _think it would be a good idea if you turned around and -"

Ginny ignored Hermione's words. She noticed that Hermione was standing directly in front of a compartment door, and her hands were on the knob. She could not completely block the window, however, and the drapes were pulled down only so far. Ginny's eyes peeked inside of the window in the middle of Hermione's words, and she felt all of the color drain from her face. Inside, Romilda sobbed with her hands covering her face, and Harry knelt in front of her like the white knight Ginny knew he was. He grasped onto her wrists and pulled her hands away from Romilda's face, and her mouth opened to scream something that Ginny could not hear. _A Silencing Charm. There is a Silencing Charm on this door. _Her thoughts went out the window when she saw Harry reach forward and claim Romilda's lips in a passionate kiss. Romilda's arms flew into the air in hesitation, before they came down around Harry's shoulders and returned all of the passion back. Ginny didn't want to see anymore.

" - together for quite a while now, Ginny, and it was really odd that you happened to suddenly come into the picture. I always told Ron that - " Hermione kept talking, but paused when she saw that Ginny had risen to a stand, a small stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. Hermione stiffened then, seeing the look of incredulity frozen on Ginny's face. "Look, Romilda and Harry have history and. . .well, it doesn't honestly surprise me that they would get back together. Harry just didn't feel the same way about you over the summer, Ginny. He realized after school that he missed Romilda all along." Hermione tried to pat Ginny on the shoulder then, but Ginny shrugged her off.

"That's _impossible!" _Ginny screamed at Hermione, her thoughts spiraling as she turned to bound down the corridor, pushing aside anyone that was in her way. _The wish. . .the wish. He shouldn't want anyone but me, so why. . .Everything's wrong. _Ginny toppled over only to find herself caught by the slender arms of Luna.

"There, there. I have you now, dear. Shh, come, sit with me in my compartment. Everything will be just fine." Luna's soothing voice was like a balm to Ginny's mind, the girl leading her into the open room to allow Ginny all of the time she needed.

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><p>Getting through the first term of Hogwarts was easier than Ginny would have believed. Within Hogwarts' walls, it seemed like nothing had changed. Romilda smiled beautifully at Ginny as though nothing in the world had transpired between them. She gave Ginny tips on her beauty and took tips in return. Harry gave Ginny his apologies when she presented him with the break-up, not understanding what went wrong in between them. It took everything inside Ginny to not slap the innocence out of Harry's face. It was as though no one remembered the drama of last year, or the summer, or the Hogwarts Express. No one but Ginny, of course.<p>

When she managed to complete her school assignments, she ignored the developing buzz of Yule's events. Hogwarts was hosting a Yule Ball, a chance for students to dress in their lovely robes and dance the night away with each other. As expected, Ginny received plenty of invitations to the dance, and as unexpected, she gave into none of them. She hadn't shaken off the feeling that something went wrong into the Wish, the foreboding pressure building around her as the school year went by. Everytime Ginny's eyes landed on a spot where trouble was building, whenever her paranoia was becoming honestly too much for her to bear, a head of silver hair would come to spare her from the potential overspill. Usually, the hair was Luna's, and her bubbly, waif-like nature would heal Ginny from whatever break down she was close to experiencing. Yet, Ginny couldn't help but wish that sometimes it was the other cousin. _I could at least tell him that he was right. I need to take the time to find that lamp. _

"Ginny." On the night of the Ball, Luna interrupted the thoughts of the ginger as she was laying on the couch in the Ravenclaw common room, her eyes closed. "You know, everyone will expect you to be at the Ball. If not with a date, at least with your friends."

"You are my friend, Luna," Ginny answered to her. The other members of Ginny's group expected her to not go. Ginny couldn't shake the feeling around Romilda, that something was wrong with her, and she did what she could to give them the distance they needed. "If I go, that means that I could only tolerate going with you."

"If that is the case, you should have asked me ages ago." Luna had already dressed in a light canary-yellow dress that touched her pale skin like sunlight, her hair in soft curls around her face. She leaned over Ginny with a gentle smile on her face, her countenance radiating with her usual ethereal glow.

"Oh, Luna. You look wonderful. If you have a date, go on. I won't hold you back. I don't even have a dress." Ginny curled up from the couch to gaze upon Luna's beauty.

"I have a feeling my date would not mind if I showed up with you." Luna smiled knowingly, reaching out to grasp Ginny's hand. "We have half an hour before it is time for the Ball. Something told me to prepare for you, so I have. Come to my room, Ginny. I promise, you will have a good time with more of your own kind." Luna's eyes held the assurance that she spoke, and Ginny wanted to believe her.

"Luna. . .if there's something that I wanted to tell you. Something important. Something that might change everything in between us. . .do you think you would still be my friend?" Ginny questioned as they walked up the stairs, her heart feeling heavy. She suddenly couldn't stand the idea that, perhaps, the wish would corrupt Luna's view of her. It was maddening; Ginny couldn't tell much the difference between who was real and who was fake now.

"My heart is not influenced by mediocre things like popularity or the like. Ginny, if you feel comfortable enough to tell me a secret, it would not change what is between us without feeling like a Niffler will snatch my tongue for lying," Luna answered, turning to smile genuinely at Ginny.

"I will tell you, one day. And I will hope that you will still be by my side, Luna." Ginny promised, her eyes closing to keep tears from spilling. Shame flooded through her for a moment, but it passed. Somehow, she was confident in Luna's genuine nature. Somehow, she trusted the girl more than anything else.

* * *

><p>As expected, Ginny's arrival at the Yule Ball was welcomed with open arms. Even the Slytherins, boys and girls alike, gave their begrudging greetings to the most popular witch in the school. Everyone admired Ginny's beauty. She wore a simple yet elegant black dress robe, slung over every round curve that she possessed. A creame line draped down the center of the dress, pooling and splitting open for Ginny's feet to step in between. A diamond-studded belt sank the waistline of the dress to fit her perfectly. Ginny looked like a dream, and with Luna Lovegood's unworldly beauty on her arm, the two were watched carefully and appreciatively.<p>

"Ginny!" Lavender popped next to Ginny nearly on cue, admiring the witch's appearance with a jaw-dropped expression. "You look. . .we didn't think you'd. . .Oh, I so hate you for that dress, you _troll. _Oh. Hi, Lovegood._"_

"Lavender Brown," Luna greeted with a small curtsey, catching the smug frown that laced itself onto Lavender's face.

"Thank Luna for the dress," Ginny commented to Lavender as she laced her arms with the excited girl, watching the patrons of the party mingle with each other. "Where's Romilda? Parvati?" Ginny gave a quick glance over toward Luna, an appreciative smile thrown in her direction. The Ball was lifting her spirits, and if it had not been for Luna, Ginny wouldn't have found the strength to go. _I really hope she remains my friend. . ._

"Well," Lavender's voice giggled. "Parvati is snogging Dean Thomas, and Romilda should be dancing around with H-"

"Hello, Ginny." The three girls turned around to find Harry staring at Ginny like a lovesick puppy. He was dashing and charming in his dress robes, his usually unruly black hair slicked back from his face in a handsome design to reveal his eyes. "I. . .well, I was told that you were not coming, but I am glad that you are here."

"Harry, dance with me, will you?" Luna suddenly cut in, stepping in front of the frozen Ginny with her hand held out expectantly. "Ginny is just catching up with her friends, and I am in need of a dance partner. You wouldn't say no to a lady - would you?"

_Luna is entirely too late. _Ginny thought to herself, her heart hammering in her chest as she gazed at Harry's surprised expression. His hand grasped onto Luna's, but his eyes turned back to Ginny with a warm gaze of love that threatened to melt her into her shoes. _That ingrate. That snake. _She felt the anger boil in her body, remembering the passionate kiss that Harry shared with Romilda aboard the Hogwarts Express, right before she decided that she was going to end things with him. The Wish hadn't worked, but now he stood in front of her as though she were the only love in his life. Ginny's hand went out to slap Harry before she could stop herself, ignoring the hurt puppy look that crossed over his innocent face.

"You ought to be glad that I do not hex your lips shut. Where is Romilda, your new girlfriend?" Ginny huffed, and Lavender gasped dramatically next to Ginny.

"New _girlfriend! _Harry, when did you and Romilda. . .again?"

"Ginny, what are you talking about?" The group turned around to see a teary-eyed Romilda standing in a beautiful gown of seafoam green. Her entire body was shaking, her eyes looking between Ginny and Harry with a helpless expression of sadness. "We're. . .not. . .together." The words forced themselves from Romilda's mouth, as though it took all of the strength within the witch not to say them.

"Yes, Ginny." Harry's other hand was holding onto his cheek, the other tightening around Luna's before releasing. "I love only you. Why did you think Romilda and I would be dating when you are the one for me?"

"Oh dear," Luna murmured, stepping back to Ginny's side, although it was too late.

"You don't mean it!" Ginny exploded, her finger reaching out to point at Harry's chest, and then to Romilda. "You don't mean it either! You're practically falling apart, Romilda, trying to lie to me! You never wanted me to be with Harry in the first place because _you _love Harry! I saw the two of you kissing on the Hogwarts Express! Hermione was there! Both of you are lying! You're _fake!_" Her explosion caught the attention of several patrons at the party, and Luna attempted to pat Ginny on the arm to calm her down, but it wasn't working. _What is going on here? Why are they lying to me? Why are they doing this? _

"Ginny, what are you saying? I would _never _kiss Romilda. I only want you -" Harry started, but Ginny backed away from his arms opening to her.

_No. No, they're lying. They're all lying. Its fake. The wish isn't working; I can see right past them! _Ginny turned to pull away from Luna and Lavender, who called out to her. She ran past the concerned faces of the patrons at the bar, her eyes darting wildly between the people who were supposed to be her _friends. Fake. Its all false. It's not real. I have to get out of here!_

* * *

><p>The foreboding feeling followed Ginny to her spot near the Quidditch pitch, her dress bunched in her hands as she took deep breaths and leaned against the tree. The rustle of the night's wind made her shiver, but it was nothing in comparison to the magic that swarmed her from the Djinni's wish. <em>What is going to happen? Is it because its almost time for Illithya to claim my magic? Why does everything feel so wrong? <em>Her legs crossed together as Ginny closed her eyes, remembering the way that Romilda's face twisted in agony when she saw Harry speaking lovingly toward her.

_Harry belongs to Romilda, but he still said he loved me. But he was so distant over the summer, as though I was nothing more than Ron's sister to him. Romilda snarled in my face and threatened me when we were on the train, but she became my best friend again when we started school. Boys have been spiraling out of control and girls have kept their distance. _All of these thoughts rolled through Ginny's mind, distracting her from the sound of walking next to her. Her eyes only opened when she felt the drip of liquid onto her forehead, rolling down in between her nose. _Rain? _

"Weasley." Her name was slurred from a voice that made her blood boil and her heart race all at the same time. "Tell me why _every time _you sod something up, I can always find you out here." Draco's arms spread wide around him, his wand in one hand and an elegant bottle of wine in the other. His dress robes were white, shirt unbuckled and collar loose with his hair falling into his eyes once more. A small hint of red tinted around his nose, giving away his cussed state.

"I don't have time for any drunken lectures, Malfoy." Ginny wanted to say anything else but that, but her pride was thickening her tongue once more. _I'm so glad you're here, Draco. I've always been glad. But I can't take you like this. _Ginny wanted to say to her first friend. She wanted to sit and talk to Draco in the way she used to do back in their earlier years together. "Go back to dance all over Pansy and Millicent, they're far better company than I am."

"I'm inclined to agree." Draco dropped the wine bottle onto the ground carelessly, leaning down to squat on his legs in front of Ginny and stare directly into her eyes. "After watching you lolligag around with _Potter, _of all people, for the past few months, only to have him confess his love for you in front of the _entire school, _I'm more inclined to cursing you for being so utterly _stupid." _Ginny's hand caught across his jaw, and Draco stumbled back onto his behind from the fury.

"Are you finished?" Ginny yelled, scrambling into a stand with wild eyes. Her breathing came out labored. "Because I've had quite enough of you. From the moment I stopped being weird Ginny Weasley, the pauper, the loser, the little annoying sister, you have treated me like I was a mental case. If you hate me so much, why do you always come to me? Why do you always try to talk to me, Malfoy? Why do you waste your time to try and rile me up?"

"Its. . .the real you, Gin-," Draco murmured, cringing as Ginny kicked his shin. "Ouch! Wait, do you feel a little sense of Deja vu?" Draco placed his hands up when Ginny grabbed onto her wand and aimed it at him. "Hold on, Weasley, I'm just -"

"_Sobrias!" _She shouted the sobering spell at Draco then, tucking her wand arm away before she did something worse. "Answer me!"

"You're false! Glamoured! Your beauty is tainted; it isn't normal, Weasley!" Draco shouted once he winced from the pain of the forceful sobering spell. He came to a stand in front of her then, his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady while his eyes stormed with emotion. "Just admit to it! I watched you; for years I watched you grow, Ginny, and I watched how beautiful you became, and I felt the pull of that beauty call to me worse than a Veela's presence, and I knew that something was _wrong _with you. It was unreal, it wasn't of this Earth whatever you did to yourself, and the way people acted around you. Your real, awkward, annoying self was concealed underneath this magic, and you were losing yourself into it as others only saw that Glamour. Call me selfish, but I didn't want to see you fall, and when you refused to let me in, I made my cousin follow your every move and protect you from the cursed effects of whatever the hell it was that you were mingling in -"

"_Luna?"_ Ginny interrupted with a shriek, her arms reaching up to yank Draco's hands off of her. She'd take a forceful step back. "You made Luna follow me and pretend to be my friend for all of those years, you spiteful arse!"

"Listen to me, Ginny." Draco's voice dropped from a shout to a more even tone, his expression serious. "When I asked for Luna to take a good look at you, she was the one that confirmed to me that something was wrong. You've sold your soul to the Muggle devil or something awful in order to place that powerful Glamour around yourself, all just for acceptance. She didn't even want to get _involved. _But the moment Zabini attacked you, we both knew that we had to protect you where those false harpy witches of yours couldn't. We knew there was something that was turning against you, and that you were in _danger._" Draco grasped onto Ginny's wrist then, pushing her against the tree so she couldn't move from him once he brought the truth of the situation to light. "You can feel it too, can't you? That is why you broke from Potter in a panic. The more you attempt to come back to some semblance of your previous self, the worst it becomes."

Ginny hadn't realized that she was shaking until Draco's hand cupped her cheek. She trembled viciously under his gaze, feeling within herself the confirmation of everything Draco assumed. _Everything feels wrong, but I don't know why. I don't know how to stop it. I just don't. _

"Tell me, Ginny. Let me help you." Draco said harshly, and when Ginny shook her head in refusal, his lips pressed into hers in a demanding gesture. He grasped onto her shoulder and pulled her body off the tree to crush her flushed state against his own, binding their lips together as though he wanted to suck the soul from her body.

_Now this. This is the only thing right I feel. _Ginny's head tilted, her lips moving tenderly in first surprise, and then in acceptance. Her arms wrapped around Draco's shoulders and she kissed him as though he was trying to bring her full form back into life. Years of wanting Draco back, years of wanting to talk to the only person that had accepted her for who she was, years of foolish pride and glamour and lies upon lies keeping her away from one of the few truths in her life. Ginny felt all of this and more inside.

"_This_ is real, not your half-arsed attempt at desperate acceptance from your peers_._" Draco breathed toward her after the kiss. "I have always watched you, always protected you, and you can't even trust me now?"

"A D-Djinni." Ginny hadn't realized she was in tears, the shame flooding her face with a blush as she tilted her head down. "If I remained pure through Hogwarts, a Djinni would give me the tools necessary to have everyone love and accept me for who I was. I just had to remain pure so she could use the magic of a virgin witch for her wish." Ginny hiccupped when she heard Draco's groan, her eyes squeezing shut as the tears rolled more down her face. _I'm pathetic. Utterly pathetic. _

"We have to break the deal, Ginny," Draco said softly, his hands reaching down toward Ginny's waist to steady her against the tree as he stood back from her. "If you break your deal with the Djinni, then everything will balance as it should be."

"You don't know what she will do to me if I take back my word, Draco." Ginny's bottom lip trembled as she gazed up at the distressed face of Draco. "She said that I should never cross her, that she'll give me exactly what I wish for if I just hold onto my purity until Hogwarts is over."

"Did she ever tell you what her wish was, Ginny? What the wish for any Djinni is?" Draco asked carefully, watching the confused and terrified expression wash over Ginny. His silvery eyes closed for a moment. "When talking to Luna about what could've possibly happened to you, she gave me several possibilities. One was the Muggle Devil - selling your soul to him for the chance of popularity. Another was ingesting Veela's blood for the effects, though the dangerous properties that would come from doing that are so outrageous that even you wouldn't be _foolish _enough to consider it. But the Djinni was one of them, something that only someone like Lovegood would research and know about." Draco opened his eyes once more. "She said that the wish of the Djinni is freedom from _being _a Djinni, Ginny. Something powerful must have the strength to switch the places of the Djinni with the wisher so the Djinni will be free. Something as powerful as -"

"A virgin witch." Ginny concluded, her mind racing. _Oh, its quite simple. Witches who remain pure, untouched, are known to produce quite pure magic in retrospect. You will not learn this in Hogwarts, but your virginity is a special cause - more special than any non-magical folk could ever wish for. It links to unknown levels of power, and I have never had the opportunity to truly see something as such blossom. . . _"That is why everything feels wrong. Illithya wants my place."

"That is why we have to break the deal." Draco remained still; he understood what breaking the deal meant. It was impossible not to. "Break the deal, Ginny, and face whatever consequences come your way. They can't be worse than what happens if you keep the deal. I will help you; I've always helped you." Draco reached his hand out and simply placed his fingers through her hair.

"Will you, really, Draco?" Ginny asked, her eyes searching for truth within his own. She couldn't find anything else but truth, however, and knew that he was genuine. He'd always been with her, and he always would be. _If there was anyone I would give myself to, it would be him. _

"I will, Ginny." He leaned closer to Ginny to melt his lips gently against hers. "I will."

* * *

><p><strong>End Notes: <strong>The relationship in between Draco and Luna is that they are cousins. If anyone knows a bit more about the HP universe, they know that the Lovegoods and the Blacks are distantly related[cousins]. In this AU, this is the same case. Where normally Draco and Luna wouldn't associate with each other, this Draco and this Luna actually get along pretty well and resemble each other more than naturally. This is in both in appearance and in attitude, although Luna is kinder than Draco, whereas Draco is more blunt and outgoing. Luna's knowledge about magical creatures is really helpful to Draco when it comes to Ginny's predicament, which is why she is helping him in solving out the mystery behind Ginny's growing popularity and how to spare her from the fate of the Djinni. I hope this answers the question about that!

Sobrias is just a sobering spell, I'm not sure if its in the HP universe or not, but we'll just go with that!

Yes, I do agree that Ginny should drop Lavender and Romilda as friends, but now you know that they're actually under the Glamour spell of the Djinni and they don't actually like Ginny for Ginny. Will Ginny learn to drop her fake friends and become a better person from this all?

Please continue to review and rate and all that jazz. This really helps me know what direction I am going with this story. We're almost at the end! =)


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